


Nearly There Nicely

by hito_ritabi



Category: Original Work
Genre: Amnesia, Boy's Love, Cute, Drama, Fantasy, Gods, High Fantasy, M/M, Original Character(s), Parallel Universes, Souls, life and death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 06:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 60,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1930239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hito_ritabi/pseuds/hito_ritabi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young man was forgotten by his father, and suddenly is forced to learn the truth about the world. He meets up with several interesting people, gods, and struggles to regain his footing. (50+ chapters, slowly uploading here.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, in a tiny kingdom, there was a prince who had a best friend. In time, the prince became king, and when he did, he made his best friend the grand duke. This story is not about either of them. It's about the grand duke's son who was _forgotten_.  
  
The city is actually the royal city, of a pretty tiny country. No one pays it any mind though. It's not in any strategic points of interest on the landscape. On one side it has a small bay, perfect for trading, and on the other, are tall steep mountains. The kingdom only ranges a few hundred miles in size between the bay and the mountains. The royal city is located inland of the bay, so it has no harbor itself. However the city slums run-on and connect it to the next town at the harbor, making it seem like one large city.  
  
The King does good in making sure all the neighboring countries are welcomed with open arms and diplomacy flows well. The Grand Duke helps with this, accommodating any guests into fine mansions and manors while they visit. In the center of the city is the palace, up long flat stairs, where the entrance has a fountain where people can sit on the edges while waiting to meet up with friends and family. The southwest leads to the slums, and then the harbor, where lots of trade happens. The northern areas of the city are left to the richer folk, and those who actually live within the city. One of the best places for a quiet stroll is in the northwestern park, where a large maple is surrounded by cherry trees and small fir.  
  
 _Shrouded in mystery there is a world we fail to see- to acknowledge. Where life and death exist together._ Though I know little of it. It's just a rumor I heard.  
  
On a bright clear afternoon, a young man was walking down a busy line of shops. It was slightly cold, but not enough that he needed a jacket. He was dressed in slacks with a button up shirt and a vest over it. The collar around his neck was mostly decoration, but it served to keep his neck warm, while his pink hair had nothing on it. It was simply curled into a few locks, sticking to his cheeks and between his eyes. In his arms he carried a small white box; a package of pastries he'd bought from a previous shop.  
  
 _Everyone knew about it. And because everyone knew, if I ever said anything about it, they responded appropriately. Telling me it was a dream I'd had._  
  
Since he'd finished buying what he came into town for, Will was on his way back to the manor. A large fancy manor owned by the Grand Duke. Passing a few shops, Will glanced down a dim alley way. His eye had been caught by a silver glowing light down it. Interested, he went down the alley. As he came closer to the light, the sounds of the street behind him became quieter and he could make out the front of the small eerie shop.  
  
Hanging from an iron pole on the wall was a strange flat triangular design that lit up the entrance. Hanging from the pole was a simple plaque for the store's name. The storefront had a large gothic window with three smaller windows framed within, each with diamond bars running through them. The door was large and wooden, with iron swirling details that mimicked vines.  
  
Will tilted his head to the side, sure he'd never seen this store before. Curious as to what they sell, and since he still needed a gift for his father's birthday tomorrow, he opened the door and peeked in.  
  
 _It doesn't look like anyone's here..._ Will thought as he looked over the shelves of books and mysterious bottles from the doorway.  
  
Suddenly, a blond popped up from next to the front desk, smiling to him. “Oh! What a cute human!”  
  
As her hand reached for him, all Will could think was, _Did she say...human?_  
  
“Come on in, cutie pie!” She exclaimed excitedly, dragging Will into the shop without so much as a second thought. She smiled, her long blond hair framed her white skin and yellow eyes. She gestured to the wares saying, “We don't get very many humans wandering in here... Let alone cute little boys like you!” She smiled sweetly, matching her rosy perfume that came wafting to Will. Her voice was clear and seductive, yet very businesslike. She was flirting with him just for business. “Welcome to the Threshold store, Nocturne.”  
  
Will raised a brow, holding his box of pastries close to his gut. “Threshold?” His blue eyes studied her as he thought. _What's this crazy sexy chick babbling about-- and why does she have elf ears on?!_  
  
Standing so close to her, the smell of roses was strong. Growing. Stronger, and stronger. Will couldn't even smell the pastries in his arms now.  
  
 _I think I fell into a rabbit hole. Crap!!_  
  
And then, Will fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will wakes up after the kidnapping...

Unconscious. Thoughts streamed through Will's mind.  
  
 _What happened after that? It's just a blank spot in my memory.    Kind of... like... it was **taken**.        But, that's silly. You can't just take someone's memory like that, right from them.        Can you?        If... you could... Does that mean someone took my..._  
  
Faint words echoed in from reality disturbing Will's thoughts and muddling them up. “Will... Will... Will.”  
  
 _Now I'm thinking crazy thoughts. That crazy elf-chick, she..._  
  
Still the voice came pressing through his mind. “Will...” It was enough to bring him starting back to reality, to wake up.  
  
 _I smell something like... Ew, lavender. Gross. I don't want to wake up. Waking up means returning to..._  
  
And the voice broke through. Clear, strong and solid. “Will!”  
  
Will's eyes opened instantly. He recognized his ceiling and the open window above him that was letting in day light. Feeling annoyed at the sudden awakening, he closed his eyes again and groaned.  
  
A woman called from his door again, this time knocking. “Will? Are you awake yet? We need to get ready for the banquet tonight.”  
  
 _That's right. Tonight's my father's banquet party celebrating his birthday with a few hundred of his business friends._  
  
Will called back to her without getting up, “I'm up, Irene. I'll be out in a few minutes.”  
  
“I'll see you in the kitchen.” she called back, and Will heard her footsteps echo as she walked back down the hall.  
  
With another groan and a sigh, Will shifted up looking around. This tiny room with worn walls, and tears in the wallpaper was his new bedroom. It'd been his for about the last four years. It had a gloomy touch to it. He had a small desk right next to his twin bed, which the only nice thing about that was the good stuffed pillow and good cotton fabrics of the blankets.  
  
At the foot of his bed was a tall wardrobe with only a foot to the ceiling from it's top, and just enough clearance for the doors to open before they hit the foot of the bed. Immediately next to the wardrobe was the door to the hallway. At the head of his bed was a small window that opened with a wooden latch, so the wood piece swung upwards and was propped up. There was no glass to keep out the weather, but the room itself was just too gloomy without some sunlight coming in.  
  
Without much thoughts in his head, Will got up and got changed into his clothes for the day. A pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt, which he buttoned up nicely and finished with a black ribbon tied around his neck in a bow.  
  
He ran his fingers through his locks of hair to ease out any tangles that might've formed from the night. As he did so, Will thought back about his shopping venture from the day before. Where had the box of pastries gone to? How did he get home? And who changed his clothes?  
  
 _Maybe, it was just another realistic dream. Just... like before._  
  
With a sad, and yet, frustrated feeling in his gut, Will finished getting dressed with his shoes and then headed out into the dank hallway of the servant's wing.  
  
It was a dark hallway lit by a few small lights every few doors. Will's room was the last one of the wing, with only one of the powder rooms across from it. The rest of the hallway had doors to the other servant's bedrooms, getting bigger as they went. One of the doors was painted blue with a white design on it, symbolizing the door to the section where the toilets, baths and showers were (all in their own sections of that one room with walls dividing them up).  
  
At the end of the hall by Will's room was a door that led outside into the back courtyards of the mansion. At the other end of the hall was a much nicer door that led to one of the back hallways of the mansion itself. Of course, since it was the mansion of the grand duke, it had to be multi-layered, with at least four different wings, and inner and outer courtyards separate from the gardens. And there must be a stable for at least six horses and a small pasture for them to be in.  
  
On the second floor, immediately above the servant's wing, was another servant's wing with larger and nicer rooms meant for the butlers and other higher stationed servants. The rest of that floor was dedicated to various art rooms, studies and places where laundry and other chores could be done. The first floor had the main living rooms, banquet hall and the dining hall, while the third floor was specialized for the grand duke's family's bedrooms and bathrooms, and their guestrooms. An even smaller fourth floor to the mansion was there to serve as an observatory, sectioned off with large plants as a large greenhouse for the Lady and a grand piano, with a glass roof to make the plants grow.  
  
In general, it was a large mansion. The only other buildings larger than it in the city other than the palace itself were the public locations, like the library and observatory, and the knight's base. It was because it's the mansion for the grand duke. It must be impressive. There were other large manors and mansions in the city, of course, belonging to dukes and other rich folk.  
  
All this served to remind Will in a painful way that once he was part of this world of gleaming beauty. With the delicious food and luxurious fabrics. But now, he was a forgotten memory. His old bedroom had been given to his younger half brother, and Will himself had been forced to live as a servant in his own home. For a while, everyone agreed with him and told him that he had been forgotten by his father. But, in the recent months, if Will ever brought up the mysterious amnesia, they would ask Will if he had just dreamed the whole thing. Now, Will can't talk about it to anyone.  
  
Will is the forgotten son of the grand duke. Forgotten not only by his father, but the whole city.  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Will headed down the hallway, turning in to the kitchen. He watched the chefs and cooks hurrying around to get the food prepared for the party. As he walked over to talk to one of the cooks, covered in powder and sauces, that cook smiled at him.

 

“Hey, you sure decided to sleep in late. It's already almost one.” The cook smiled. “You must've been pretty tired.”

 

Seeing this as an opportunity to find out just how long he had been out last night, Will asked, “When'd I get in?”

 

“Around three, I think.” He answered. The cook pulled off his cap, ruffling his hair a bit with his hand, and the put it back on. “Those pastries you bought for the Master are over there on the counter. They smell really good.”

 

Will nodded a bit, looking around, stepping out of people's way. Four years of being the kitchen-boy and he'd grown accustomed to the flow of busy and slow days. On a busy day, you are on your toes moving around so much it's like you were a ballerina. And on the slow days, you're moving so slow, you might as well challenge that turtle to a 'who can get there last?' contest.

 

“Were they expensive?” The cook asked, as he started to dice some cucumber up. Will looked back to him, shaking his head. “You do know that at ten dollar a pop for four pastries, that's expensive, right?”

 

Will blinked, surprised a bit, but nodded. The cook waved his arm, smiling. “What do you need me to do?” Will asked.

 

The cook nodded, pointing toward a box. “Take the compost out and then see if they need your help decorating the ballrooms and stuff.”

 

Will nodded. After he took out the compost to the back yard, he came back in and washed his hands. After drying them, he headed into the ballroom. He spent the rest of the afternoon going around getting the flowers in their vases with water, setting the tables, and cleaning the dance floor.

 

~*~

 

A young man with dark navy steel hair and orange eyes stood adjusting his dark red jacket at the collar and the cuffs. He turned, looking nervously up at the blond watching him. “I dunno about this. Shouldn't someone else be going?”

 

“It's really easy.” The blond smiled, glancing over to the young man next to them dressed in all black, with a blank look in his eye and black short hair. “All you have to do is just observe what's going on.”

 

“So why can't you or Akiio go?”

 

“Cause we didn't get the job.” The blond laughed, swinging his legs.

 

The three of them were standing around in a small bunch of trees in a non-busy part of the city near the Grand Duke's manor. The blond was sitting in a tee and jeans, swinging his legs playfully as he sat on a low branch of one of the trees. The nervous one getting dressed up and adjusting himself, kept looking at the mirror and the pile of products and clothing they brought.

 

“I dunno.” He said, looking to them. “I feel like a fool! Do people really dress like this when they're rich?”

 

The blond tilted his head to the side. “What does it matter? It's just clothes.”

 

“Clothes matter, Isaac!” he shouted. Then he looked to the one in black. “How do I look?” He stretched out his arms, thinking he looked fine.

 

The one in black turned his red eyes to him, and stared at him for a minute without saying anything. He knelt down, picked up some mousse, squirted a bunch in one hand, and then without warning, shoved his hand into the navy hair and pushed his bangs back with a shove.

 

“ACK!!!” He yelped, taking a step back from the sudden shove. He forced a smile at him though, “So.... how's it look?”

 

Again, a long silence followed as he was stared at. It became awkward, as the blond sat there covering his mouth so he wouldn't laugh.

 

“Better.” He finally said.

 

The navy haired boy sighed a bit, adjusting one last time before heading down the pathway. “I'll be back soon.”

 

“Bring me a slice of cake!” shouted the blond after him. Without looking, he just waved, grimacing inward as he felt an odd sudden feeling of stupidness coming over him.


	4. Chapter 4

While Will continued setting up, a little boy dressed in a nice khaki colored pair of shorts and a white blouse with a blue big ribbon tied around the collar, came over and grabbed onto Will's shirt-tail.

 

Will looked down and smiled at him. The little boy had sky blue eyes and light blond hair with pink tips, hiding one of his eyes. “Hi, Alexander. Have you finished getting cleaned up for the party tonight?” Will set down the tray he had been polishing onto the table next to him, and patted the child's head.

 

The little boy smiled brightly at him, too shy to actually speak. He was an adorable little four year old.

 

“Well, I can't play right now. I'm getting ready for your daddy's birthday party tonight.” Will tried to let the kid down easily. The boy frowned a bit, but didn't let go of Will's shirt. “Did you get him a present?” The little boy nodded. “That's great! What is it?”

 

Just as Alexander opened his mouth to answer, an upset woman called to the two of them in a scolding manner. “Alexander!” The two jumped a bit, turning to look at the blond woman as she came walking toward them angrily. She was dressed in a dark red dress with her blond hair curled and waved, pinned into a partial bun. She looked like a gentle, sweet mother, but her green eyes showed she was pretty mad. “There you are! You snuck away just as we were getting you cleaned up for tonight!” She grabbed Alexander's free hand and tugged on him gently. “Come along now, we have to finish getting you cleaned up!”

 

At that moment when Alexander didn't let go of Will, she glared up to Will. “Uh, Lady, he seems pretty clean already--”

 

“I _know_ he seems clean to _you_ , Will.” She answered in an annoyed and snooty tone. “But, this is proper etiquette that you clean your hands and face before attending your father's birthday party. Wouldn't _you_ agree?”

 

Will's mouth opened a bit to say something, but his newly made conditioned reflexes made him clamp his jaw shut before he insulted his step-mom with how bitchy she was being. The only response that could make it out of his throat was calm and gentle. “Yes, ma'am.” He pulled Alexander's hold off of his shirt, and leaned down to talk to him face-to-face. “You should go and get clean for the party, okay?”

 

Alexander pouted a bit, cutely. He really didn't want to let go of Will.

 

Will smiled at him, patting his head. “We can play later. I promise.”

 

Hesitantly, with a few looks to his mother and then to Will, Alexander finally smiled and nodded. And then he let his mother drag him out of the ballroom and back up stairs.

 

Will straightened up and started to get back to polishing the trays in front of him. He looked over, glancing to a woman with red hair pinned back in an apron, another servant, as she was walking by setting up chairs.

 

“You shouldn't egg her on like that.” the woman said, not even looking at him.

 

“I didn't.” Will answered, finishing one tray, picking up and starting to polish another.

 

“You do know she's going to either poison you or kick you out sooner or later if you keep getting close to Alexander like that, right?” she asked. “I mean, it's not like she likes you particularly or anything.”

 

Will choked back a laugh. “Like? Irene, I think if she had the chance, she would tie me up in a dank dark dungeon and beat me with the whip herself.”

 

“I don't think she hates you that much.” Irene giggled, moving more chairs aside.

 

“Oh yeah, and my getting sick after she's given me some food is just coincidental.” Will rolled his eyes.

 

“Don't be like that.”

 

“Like what?”

 

Irene glared over to Will's figure, as he was concentrated on the silver trays and not looking up to her. “Like a big baby. Alexander's the only one defending you from her.” Will glanced to her, not really looking at her. “You know if he didn't like you as much as he did, you wouldn't still be living here, right?”

 

“Yeah, I'd be shoveling poop in the stables.” Will answered without missing a beat.

 

Irene sighed. “Why can't you just be happy with what you've got?”

 

Will stopped, looking to her. “I'm happy.”

 

“No.” Irene, put down the next chair. “You're bitter.”

 

Will looked to his hazy reflection in the silver. Turning his eyes to the side to look as a butler came walking in to the room.

 

“Everyone, the guests'll be arriving in the next twenty minutes.” He pointed to Will, “I'm going to need you to be passing out hor' _derves_ , so just...”

 

“Got it.” Will nodded, and headed in to the kitchen to get the first tray. On his way he thought to himself, _Just get out of the way and don't provoke Lady Mia to poison you tonight._

 

With a sigh, Will picked up the first tray of cheeses, cakes and berries and he walked back out into the ballroom. He stood next to the wall in his directed spot. This was the spot of the room where he could see everyone. It's also the only spot in the room where he could serve guests, and still have access to a doorway for escape if Mia or the Grand Duke, came looking for Will. It wasn't common at parties. But whenever Mia couldn't find her son, Alexander, she knew he was always within ten feet of Will. The Grand Duke, however, made it a clear obvious point to avoid talking to Will at all.

 

Will clenched his teeth, clearing all thoughts from his mind. As he heard the guests start to file in, he closed his eyes a moment and took a breath. The band started playing a soft waltz, just for everyone to listen to as they started to get settled in to chatting and nibbling on foods.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw Lady Mia enter the ballroom with the Grand Duke, Adell, on her arm and Alexander holding on to her other hand. Adell smiled and waved to the guests, going to greet them. Alexander tugged to get out of her hold, but she just smiled down to him, whispering something in his ear. But Will's eyes followed Adell as he walked around the room, greeting and talking to various guests with that big burly smile on his face.

 

As his blue eyes followed him, Will could feel his thoughts wandering down the wrong path.

 

_Everyone can see it. Everyone knows it. His blue eyes and his skin tone, it's so obvious. If Alexander's his son, then I'm even more obvious his... Well. I guess it doesn't matter now. But, how can they all laugh at me like I'm stupid? Don't they see it?_

 

In truth. Will knew that while his eyes and skin colors were obviously from his father Adell, his face's shape and his hair came from his mother's side. That's probably why it was harder for people to believe that he was Adell's son.

 

 _But I'm sure of it._ Will thought again, watching as Adell raised his voice with a loud happy greeting to the king as he came into the room, and they hugged each other. Their laughter echoed around them. _Why can't anyone else...?_

 

“Hey there!” came a young man's voice shoving it's way right through the chatter to Will's ears. It was close and obviously directed at him.


	5. Chapter 5

Surprised, Will's blue eyes turned to the one who addressed him on his left, eyes wide. He blinked a few times, then smiled. “Hello, sir! Would you like an hor'derves?” The young man smiled with a nod.

 

He had dark navy hair, and lighter skin than Will. His orange golden eyes pierced into Will's being, as they seemed to almost glow if you looked at them for too long. He had a red long-sleeved blazer on with a white button-up on underneath, with a mid-waist belt holding up his khaki slacks. His hair was gelled back smoothly, showing a few small spikes, with two thin locks falling into his eyes. On his left ear was a strange earring; a blue wing pierced into the top curl of his ear, with a thin gold chain connecting to the stud at his lobe, that had another small decorative chain hanging from it. He didn't look particularly older than Will, and only stood just a few inches taller.

 

The young man smiled a bit. “Sure. What have you got there?”

 

“Gouda cheese, some raspberries, and the gray strange cream is a delicious floral-honey flavor on a butter cracker.” Will explained, pointing out the three different hor'derves, none of which looked enticing at all.

 

“Will!” came a soft little boy's voice.

 

Will looked to his lower right side as Alexander came up and grabbed ahold of his shirt tail again. Will smiled at him a bit, “Hiya, Alexander. Do you want an hor'derve?”

 

Alexander shook his head, a hand to his mouth as he looked without interruption from the young man with golden eyes that was looking over the tray Will was holding.

 

“What one do you recommend?” he asked.

 

“Oh, uh the berries are good.” Will answered, his eyes looking slowly around for wherever Mia was. She was sure to turn up looking for Alexander soon after all.

 

Alexander made a sick face. “Ew!”

 

The young man laughed, and knelt down to look Alexander in the eye. “Do you not like berries, little boy?”

 

Alexander stuck his tongue out at him, shifting to hide behind Will. Will laughed nervously, “Uh, he's pretty shy.”

 

“What kind do you like?”

 

Alexander didn't answer, just watched the young man with his blue eyes.

 

The young man reached up, took one of each of the hor'derves, placed them on the palms of his hands, knelt down and held them out in front of Alexander. “Do you like the cracker?” Alexander shook his head, and the young man put it back on to the tray. “What about cheese?” And Alexander nodded a bit. He smiled, offering the snack to him. “Want it?”

 

And at this, Alexander's eyes glanced up to Will's and then back to the golden eyes. Then he shook his head.

 

“Well, would it be okay if I ate it?” he asked, smiling.

 

Alexander blinked, not saying anything. The two just watched, kind of dumbfounded, as the young man plopped the cheese into his mouth, followed promptly by a sick look on his face. Then he threw in the berries, and made an even worse sick look.

 

“Man! That's ….” He paused, trying to think of his word really carefully. “A really strong flavor. What's in them?”

 

“Lard.” Was Will's response, and at the same time, Alexander's was, “Bugs.”

 

The young man laughed as he stood back up, “How can you guys stand this stuff?”

 

And without missing a single beat, they both answered, “We don't eat it.”

 

Again, he began laughing again.

 

He stopped when a stern voice echoed toward them. “Alexander!”

 

Alexander let go of Will instantly, waved to him and ran off quickly around the table, and out the door into the hallway. Mia walked past them, not even giving Will a single bat of an eye, hurrying after her son.

 

“Well...” the young man smiled, putting a hand on his hip. “I think I'll have another hor'derves.”

 

Will blinked, turning his attention back to the young man. “Sure.” He moved the tray toward him.

 

The young man grew a smile on his face. He took the tray from Will's hands and, then put a hand to his chin, looking the other up and down. “There. Now you look better.”

 

Will tilted his head to the side, curious as to what he meant.

 

The young man offered up his hand. “Hand, please.” Puzzled, Will put his right hand into the hand offered. Smoothly, yet swiftly, the young man put the tray onto the table beside them and dragged Will out onto the ballroom dancing floor. He worked them through a few couples, until they were far enough in that Will couldn't just escape the wall. He then positioned their hands for the waltz, as the music had already begun to play a while ago, and began to lead Will in the dance.

 

Stuttering softly, and carefully trying to pull his hands away from him, Will looked toward their feet. “Oh, no, no. I can't dance.”

 

“You're doing fine.”

 

“No, no.” Will insisted, trying to pull away, as he was guided to step backwards and then forwards.

 

The other lead them into a small turn with a few steps backwards, “Just follow my lead, Will. I'm sure you learned how to dance as a kid, right?”

 

“Well, yeah... It's proper etiquette!” Will answered, looking up, feeling them step forward, him too far as he stepped briefly on the other's toes. “But that doesn't mean I've danced recently.”

 

“How recent is recent? Cause you're doing fine.”

 

“Try four years.” Will answered. _What's up with this guy? Golden-orange eyes, and that... look. It's so, weird.... Alexander doesn't just get along with anyone._

 

“Whoa! Why so long? Surely you've had to attend parties, right?”

 

“Yeah, but as a servant.”

 

At that, the young man's eyes widened a bit. He blinked in surprise. It was brief, but there long enough for Will to catch it. “...What...? What do you mean servant?”

 

Will's mouth opened a bit to answer, not sure how to explain, or what to say.

 

“I mean, you're the--”

 

A firm hand landed on his shoulder, pulling the two to stop dancing. “Excuse me for butting in, but I think you've distracted my kitchen-boy long enough from his job.”

 

Will jumped in surprise, looking at Adell's stern face. He let go of the young man, took a few steps back and gave a brief bow. “Thank you very much for the dance, sir! Please, enjoy the rest of your evening.” He turned and gave a bow to Adell, “Sir.” And then he straightened up to walk away.

 

“Will.” Adell said firmly.

 

Will stopped, turning to the Grand Duke. The young man watched with annoyed interest. “Yes...?”

 

“Did you buy those four small pastries that were on the main table with the gifts?” Adell asked. Will swallowed his voice, “Will?”

 

“Yes, sir.” Will answered, trying not to sound too curt with that short nod he gave.

 

Adell lifted his left palm up and gave Will a firm slap on his cheek. At that, the young man's eyes widened, pissed and shocked that he would slap Will. He moved to say something, but Will had already moved into another bow.

 

“Yes, sir. Thank you for your kindness.” Will answered. He straightened up with a smile, and then turned to walk back in to the kitchen.

 

Adell turned with a smile, putting his hand on the young man's shoulder again. “Please, my friend, enjoy the rest of the party on your way to the door.” With the last few words he firmed his grip momentarily on the young man's shoulder before letting go, giving it a few pats. And then he walked away, “Duke Rutherford! It's been too long! I think I see more gray hairs coming in on your head!”


	6. Chapter 6

The young man rubbed his shoulder, looking after Adell with a confused annoyed look. “Well. That was interesting.” He shrugged a bit, lifting his chin to see the doorway to the kitchen. A smile grew onto his face just before he headed across the crowd to the door. He greeted the servants coming and going with nods, and then slipped into the kitchen, looking around.

 

His golden eyes spotted Will just as the pink-haired young man had exited out the back door with an ice pack in his hand.

 

With a curious look on his face, he went to follow when a young woman stepped in front of him. She waved her hand at him to stop walking. “Excuse me, sir. But if there's something you need, I can get it for you,” Irene said with a sweet smile.

 

He looked at her, confused, then turned on the charm. “Well,” he put a hand on his hip, a stupid grin coming onto his face. “I saw a young man with pink hair come in here, and I was wondering if I could continue the riveting conversation I was having with him before we were interrupted. But, I'm not at all opposed to having a conversation about sweet sticky _honey_ with you, if you'd like?”

 

Irene's face turned beet red at the suggested perversion coming through his tone of voice. “I will have to respectfully decline, sir. I'm still working, and so is he. So!” A few pushes and shoves, and the young man was back in the ballroom grumbling about his block.

 

With a surprised glance over his shoulder as Irene crossed her arms at the door way, a blush on her face, he turned a smile back to her. “Right then. We'll have to save it for later, huh?” He winked, and then walked back into the crowd to disappear. Though Irene couldn't see it, he had a firm glare on his face brimming with anger. _A few seconds of fun and someone has to spoil it._

 

A woman's voice, soothingly echoed her alto octaves in the young man's head, right between his ears. “ _You've got much bigger fish to fry_.”

 

At this, he stopped. Glancing up to his right, and then slowly to his left, looking around for where she was coming from. Uneasily, he pushed the thought away, like a lump in his throat. He knew her voice. It was the voice of his captor, and master.

 

However, now that he was reminded as to why he was here, the young man looked for the nearest lonely young lady to dance with. While whispering sweet nothings and seducing her into a feverish blush, he was looking around the entire time for his target. Once he spotted the man with the dark red hair, blue eyes and the skintone the same as Will's, a small smile appeared in the crook of his lips.

 

“Say... Where is the Grand Duke's son?” He casually interjected into his conversation as naturally as possible with the girl he was dancing with. She was dressed in a green Victorian dress with white lace and trim, with a veil over her blonde hair, fair skin and green eyes.

 

“Eh? Oh...” her blush receded for a moment. “I think Alexander's probably already gone to bed. He is just a kid after all!” She smiled a bit. “Why?”

 

He tilted his head, “Oh... No reason. I just... Could've sworn he had a much older son?” He looked at her, continuing to dance the waltz with her.

 

She smiled and shook her head. “No, no~” Then with a giggle she lowered her voice to a hush. “His older son was debauched to a simple servant. Serves the cad right for what happened.”

 

 _A cad? I... don't remember him being like that... Just what the hell happened after..._ His thoughts trailed into his next question, “Oh? When was that?”

 

She frowned, pulling him suddenly inappropriately close in their turn of the dance. “You should stop talking about boring things. It's not a good way to woo a lady.” And she leaned in closely to his face, bumping her nose to his.

 

 _I'll tell you boring, freaking ass!_ He smiled and pulled back, removing himself from the dance with his eyes closed. “Sorry but conversations carried out with actual words is far more interesting to me than the other types of conversations sounds can make.” He bowed to her, and proceeded to leave the ballroom, leaving her with a blank look and blush growing on her cheeks.

 

Outside in the hall, he leaned against a wall, grumbling to himself.

 

_~*~_

 

Will sat outside on a small stool someone had brought out a long time ago for a smoke break. In the cool clear night air, Will's cheek felt all the more hot as it burned from the blood rushing to it from the smack he had taken earlier.

 

An almost sad look grew onto his face, before he pushed it away with a grin, tilting his head down. He pushed the ice pack firmer to his cheek, mumbling, “He never hit me when I was his son.”

 

“Will!” came Irene's voice a moment later. Will turned his head up and looked over his shoulder to see her come out of the kitchen, several feet away. “Some creep was asking for you a minute ago. Do you know him?”

 

 _That's out of the blue._ “What'd he want?”

 

Irene shrugged, crossing her arms. “He didn't say, and I didn't ask.” She waved her arms a bit with another shrug, then she walked closer to him to see his face in the dim light. “Did you get hit _again_?”

 

Not really wanting to answer, Will gave a small nod, and looked away as he heard Irene start the usual scolding. “Why do you do things that'll make him mad?”

 

Irene waited for the answer. Will just gave a slight shrug, slumping his shoulders a bit.

 

_Because I'm his son._

 

“You have to stop! You aren't his son anymore!” With this Irene raised her voice. “You're just a stupid servant now, so get it through your head! If you keep this up” and her voice began to raise into a shout, “Then it won't be Lady Mia that curses you! It'll be Adell! If you want to stay here then you have to be a good servant to him and his new family! You can't just be constantly pressuring him that you're his son! He doesn't want it, let alone believe it! If you keep this up, he'll kick you out!”

 

Will smiled a bit, turning to look at her. Even though he was smiling, there was sadness in his eyes. Irene stopped her rant, her anger pausing when she saw the ocean in his eyes filled with sorrow. The depressed look in his eyes was so prominent it made her gasp a bit, jumping with a start.

 

“It's all I can do.” Will answered her, his smile never wavering.

 

“... Alexander called for you.” Irene replied, looking down. Shame filled her for having just yelled at Will.

 

“Right.” Will smiled and stood up. As he walked past her back into the kitchen, he patted her shoulder reassuringly.

 

Irene looked after him, staring at his back. “Somehow, you look so lonely... Even with us all around you. You should really share that sadness with us.”

 

Will put the ice pack back into the freezer as he heard Irene speak. He took a smooth deep breath, letting it out through his nose as he turned and headed out of the kitchen. Anyone else might need to recompose themselves, or swallow a lump in their throat, but not Will.

 

_The pain that the sadness will cause me is not worth feeling, so why should I even bring that to anyone else? That's a rotten thing to share._

 

Walking up the dim servant's stairways toward his old bedroom, Will took the time to clear his mind of any lingering thoughts he might have. It was these meditation periods that had caused him to become well practiced in pushing his emotions down so far that he couldn't feel any emotion. All of his tears, along with all of his laughs, had been suppressed for so many years that he couldn't even recall what it felt like to have them. However, even though Will couldn't feel those emotions, he was able to give the appearance of smiles and other emotions, but it just left the impression of the empty facade he had.

 

 _Truly, I am worth nothing._ Will thought as he stood in front of his old bedroom's door. He lifted his eyes to the center of the door and felt a surge of energy briefly. _But I can't just stop, for Alexander's sake._

 

Will knocked on the door, opening it quietly. “Alexander?” he asked quietly into the darkened room. “Did you call for me?”

 

“Will!” came Alexander's soft voice from inside.

 

With a comforting smile, Will let himself in, and closed the door. He walked over to the bedside, seeing Alexander awake and playing with some of his stuffed animals in the dark. A candled nightlight by the door was offering a warm flickering glow to the room.

 

“Aw, you aren't even in your pj's yet.” Will said, as he started to pick up a few of the plushies.

 

Will didn't need to say anything more. Alexander got up and was changing into a lightweight nightgown as Will was putting the stuffed animals back into a toy chest at the foot of the bed.

 

“Which one do you want tonight?”

 

“The blue bunny.” Alexander's answered, smiling as he climbed back into bed.

 

Will nodded, picking the small stuffed animal from the foot of the bed and closed the toy chest. “Here you are~” He smiled, handing the plushie to Alexander. The little boy happily took it and started to hug it.

 

It took a few moments for Will to get Alexander to move enough for him to get the comforter down and get the little boy under it and all tucked in.

 

“Comfortable?”

 

“Mm-hmm!” Alexander nodded, his blue eyes brimming with happiness.

 

Will patted his bangs, stroking his hair a bit. Then he stood up and started for the door. “Good night.”

 

“Will.” He stopped and turned back to look at the boy. “Play me a lullaby?”

 

Will had a surprised look briefly on his face. Then he smiled and walked back over to the bedside. He reached over to the nightstand and lifted up a lyre with eight cords made out of a turtle shell.

 

It was an old item that had belonged to his mother. After her passing, Will took the instrument and kept it in his room. He only knew how to play the one lullaby on it, the same she had played for him as he grew up. But after he had been sent to the servant's ward, Will had decided to leave the lyre in his room. It had probably never left his room during his whole lifetime. He couldn't picture the image of his mother walking out of the room once with the lyre.

 

“You have to go to sleep after this, okay?” Will asked, eyeing Alexander's eager face. The little boy nodded and snuggled in to get comfortable.

 

After Alexander stopped fidgeting, Will began to pluck the strings and play the lullaby. The song it self was simple, lasting only around twenty seconds, with periods of quiet between the notes. A middle note was struck first, being lead into by high-to-low notes with a swing of his fingers. Then again the middle note, then a high note, and then a higher note, then a pause, another higher, and one more higher, before going back to the first higher and then the high note. Then, once more a pause. Then, again Will ran his fingers across a few cords like before to hit the middle note, then he paused, hit the note again, one more lower, and then a few higher notes. Another pause, and he finished the cycle with three more strokes leading high, with the last note being one below the middle-note. Then, with a pause, he began the song again.

 

Will played through the lullaby several times, closing his eyes as he strummed. He imagined his mother strumming to him as a child, the notes echoing into something further than just his ears. The song was slow and soothing, a perfect melody to put someone to sleep with.

 

After a few minutes, Will stopped playing and slowly opened his eyes as the last note echoed into the silence.

 

“Are you sad?”

 

Will looked down at Alexander, a bit surprised he had stayed awake through the melody. Usually he'd just fall to sleep. “Hm... Not really.” He looked down at the lyre, letting his memories fade from the forefront of his mind. “Why?” He asked as he put the instrument back onto it's spot on the nightstand, a violet velvet square.

 

“It sounded sad.”

 

Will smiled at him as reassuringly as he possibly could. “Sorry. I guess I was thinking about something else.”

 

“What?”

 

Will sat back down on the edge of the bed, adjusting the blankets some. “Just someone I miss.” He looked back to Alexander's curious face and patted his hair again. “Go to sleep, okay?”

 

“All right.” And Alexander rolled over, pulling the cover up to his cheek and closed his eyes.

 

Will stroked his fingers through the blond hair briefly before he stood up and headed to the door. Closing it quietly, Will whispered into the room a “good night”.

 

After closing the door, Will started back toward the ballroom. It was faster to take the main staircase, so he did. _I better get back to serving the hor'derves and drinks._ He thought, knowing that by now the king should've arrived; which only meant that Adell would be wanting more beer as they enjoyed each other's laughing company long after the other guests would leave.

 

At the base of the staircase, Will spotted the strange young man he had danced with earlier. “Can I help you with something?” Will asked as he came to the bottom of the steps.

 

The young man straightened up with a start, since he had been leaning with a grumbling troubled faced against the wall. “Oh! Uhm, not … really.” He smiled, waving a hand. “I was just wondering whatever happened to Adell's son.”

 

“Alexander? He just went to sleep.” Will answered, without missing a beat.

 

“No.” His smile widened, but not with a sinister intent. He was amused some. “The older son. He was about my age last I knew.”

 

Will's face contorted into a soft glare as it hardened on this stranger. “You're mistaken.” He spat out the expected response. “The Grand Duke only has one son, and that is Alexander.”

 

“Really?” His smile continued, tilting his head to the side. “Cause I could've sworn the one I'm thinking about was around my age.”

 

Will closed his eyes and started past him toward the ballroom. “You must be thinking of someone else.”

 

“You sure it's not you?” he asked after Will passed him.

 

Will's legs froze. The question made his entire being stop working. His mind, his legs. All of it just stopped working. Part of him wanted to answer truthfully, the other part wanted to shout and scream, and another wanted to curse this young man, while another wanted to interrogate him. With all the possible responses spinning in his head, Will couldn't think of anything to say. In fact, he couldn't think at all.

 

After a few seconds of this speedtrain going crazy, a few words burbled out of his throat, tripping on his tongue as they came. “Y-You are mistaken.” He said it with a firm tone, even though the words themselves shook.

 

Without hearing a reply, Will went to take a step forward, when his left knee collapsed inward on itself. His knees had locked up, and his legs had gone numb. Overwhelmed by the thoughts and the lack of blood to his brain, Will fainted forward, hitting his head on the floor when he landed.

 

In dumbfounded-shock, the young man stared at Will's collapsed form. “Well. Uh... Not _quite_ what I had in mind.” He looked around quickly for if any of the other servants had seen, then he quickly gathered Will up into his arms and hurried out of the building. “Geeze, he's heavier than he looks!” he complained as he sprinted outside down the pathway entrance.

 

Almost 35 yards away, he finally ran into the blond and the black haired man from earlier in the night.

 

The blond stood up with a shout, pointing at the fainted Will. “What the hell! This wasn't part of the plan! … Who is it?”

 

“It's the target's son.” he answered, shifting Will so he could carry him easier. “We better go now.”

 

“He won't be happy.” the young man with black hair stated matter-of-factly.

 

“Yeah, well I doubt Adell will come really easily. Sides, wouldn't having the son make for just as valuable research?”

 

“Bias.” the man with black hair answered.

 

The blond laughed, “Akiio's right, Crow. We're gonna be in trouble without Adell.”

 

“We'll just come back and get the old fart later.” he answered, starting to walk away. “Let's go already.”

 

The man with black hair, Akiio, looked to the blond blankly. The blond let out an exasperated sigh, hanging his shoulders into a slump. “But his punishments are really bad, Cro~ow.”

 

“We'll be fine. Now hurry it up!” Crow called over his shoulder. “This guy isn't exactly a featherweight.”


	7. Chapter 7

As Will began to return to the world of consciousness, his thoughts swirled around. The dream he had been having was about the last dinner party he'd gone to, almost four months earlier. This was the time when Mia had offered him some nice fettuccine alfredo pasta with a special mix of spices she had added. Sadly, it hadn't just been limited to peppers and salt. The mixture had given Will food poisoning and left him stuck in his room ill for the next several days.

 

Deep in his heart, Will was cursing her. _Freaking bitch! What the hell is proven from her poisoning me? If she thinks that'll get rid of me, she's sadly mistaken!_

 

But farther up, he rationalized everything. The bitter anger and the annoyances she caused him had died down. Even higher up in his rationality, as it becomes the exposed part of his behaviors that he shows people, Will had become a push-over. He didn't care about what Mia did to him. She could poison him, beat him, slap him, anything. He'd take it. Verbal and physical abuse.

 

It didn't make Will sad. It didn't make him angry. Frustrated. Or even happy that she was acknowledging him in some way.

 

He had numbed himself to everything.

 

 _Four years. Maybe..._ Will thought as he returned to the reality around him. He could feel himself laying on something, and the pounding in his head. It created a hard pressure, and really hurt.

 

_Could it have never happened? Am I someone else's son? But... I remember being with him on my birthday parties, hanging out in the palace with the King..._

 

As the real world came into focus, waking Will up, the headache and the pounding became more painful. His second-guessing and doubts of his own memories stopped as the pain set in. With it came the nasty floral smell of lavender.

 

And then... voices.

 

Muffled.

 

Murmuring.

 

They were far away.

 

~*~

 

“ _That_ was not a slice of cake, Crow.” Isaac grumbled, sitting on a stool in a kitchen. He was leaning with his elbows on the counter, while the young man that had been the one to kidnap Will was standing across from him in front of the kitchen sink, rinsing his hair.

 

“I don't want to hear it.” He said through the water.

 

“What was it like in there?”

 

“Loud.” He answered pulling his head out and rubbed a towel over his head. After he pulled the towel down, rubbing some bits on his neck, he continued. “And it was crowded. And the food was shit. Even the kid said it was shit.”

 

“The kid said it was shit?” Isaac asked, raising a brow. “Yeah, right.”

 

“Well, he said it was made with bugs.” he answered.

 

“Crow.” came the third voice, the other young man that had been in all black. He came walking into the kitchen from the pantry with a slice of cake on a plate in his hand.

 

“Akiio~” Isaac sung happily, “Is that for me~?” He smiled, trying to seduce him to hand him the plate.

 

Akiio just sat next to him, and took a piece off with the fork, going to eat it.

 

Crow's eyes thinned with near annoyance as he watched them. “What's up?”

 

“He's out of place here.” Akiio answered.

 

Crow put his hand on the edge of the sink, annoyed. “So, what? You think I shouldn't have brought him here?”

 

“Obviously.” Akiio replied, turning the fork from his mouth. It had been hanging in front of it and now he turned it so it was aimed at Isaac.

 

“Yay!” Isaac bit the fork, taking the slice off, happily licking his lips afterward.

 

Crow kept talking like this odd display of close intimacy was normal. “I couldn't just leave him there like that. He looked like a drowned puppy.” He paused, “I mean, you should've seen how Adell hit him.”

 

“He hit him?” Isaac asked after he finished the next bite.

 

“Yeah, like, whap.” Crow gestured with his arm and hand, showing himself imaginatively hitting a figure hard. “It left a mark on his cheek- turning red and everything.”

 

Isaac gawked a bit, looking to Akiio and then to Crow again. “Did he cry?”

 

Crow shrugged, taking the towel off his shoulders to drop it into the sink. “I don't think so. He left after that and I couldn't follow him.”

 

“What'd Adell do?”

 

“He politely said I should get my ass out of there.” And he rolled his eyes. “What a jerk. Smacking his own son.”

 

“He doesn't remember him.” Akiio answered.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I know the logic of it.” Crow turned around, waving his arm to shut Akiio up. He turned back around suddenly, pointing at him. “But I still don't think it's right.”

 

“Well, it makes sense.” Isaac answered. “You can't remember the son if the mother of him has been forgotten.”

 

“Remember him as a nephew or a friend's son, some shit like that!” Crow waved his arms. “You can't just forget him like that!”

 

“He did.” Akiio answered bluntly.

 

“Yeah, Crow.” Isaac nodded, taking another bite of cake. “You can't just alter the memories like that.”

 

Crow looked to Isaac, clearly annoyed. “So, you can take memories out, but you can't change them or put new ones in that never existed?”

 

“Yeah.” Isaac nodded again. “It's too interconnected. I'm surprised he was able to remove his wife so completely anyway.”

 

There was a long silence. The only thing moving was Isaac eating the cake.

 

Finally Crow shifted and groaned, “Fine. I get it. It's a memory experiment and we're the grunt monkeys. But I don't think it's right that you should just forget someone that you love so much. I mean, suicide or something is better, right?”

 

There was a continued silence, and no answer. It was a touchy subject between the three of them.

 

Isaac had committed suicide and refused to cross over the Threshold or attain his memories, that's why he was here. Akiio had come to the Threshold to escape the world of the living, without dying.

 

And yet somehow, they all had performed the same crime that would trap them in the service of this messed up god until they were released, whenever.

 

“Isaac”, Akiio “Raven”, “Crow”, and “Dove.” They had been renamed by the god as a symbol of their imprisonment.

 

“You should make him some food.” Isaac broke the silence finally, breaking into the other's thoughts. “He'll probably be hungry when he wakes up.”

 

“And he'll have a killer headache.” Crow nodded, pointing to his temple. Then he busied himself getting things together for when Will would wake up.

 

Isaac glanced to Akiio, who had just been watching the slice of cake disappear off the plate, with no real expression on his face. “Are you worried?”

 

“There's a 53.7% chance that Crow will be affected by this young man in a negative way.” he answered.

 

Crow stopped cracking eggs in a bowl, looking up to him. Akiio was trained to notice things and make analysis'; a professional mercenary that could kill you with the least likely of weapons.

 

They all felt it. There was some greater plot in this experiment that the god was guiding them down. And with Will now being in the Threshold, he could strain his mentality far easier. All in the name of research.

 

With the disgusting taste settling in his mouth, Crow went back to making a healthy breakfast. He didn't want to speculate about what would happen. Instead, he turned the direction of the conversation back.

 

“Sorry about the suicide thing.”

 

Isaac smiled to him, “No worries. Just get me a slice of cake.”


	8. Chapter 8

The murmuring of the voices got closer to Will's ear. He groaned from the throbbing in his head, and squinted open his eyes drearily.

 

Just then, Crow opened the door letting in a smell of scrambled eggs, toast and jam and some sweet tea. It was delicious and overpowered the lavender.

 

“I'm fine. Get out!” Crow whispered in a frustrated manner to someone at the door, and shut it quickly with his foot once he was in.

 

“But cake will wake him up!” came someone else's voice.

 

“Shut up, Isaac!” Crow whispered back, kicking the base of the door with his shoe.

 

The slam sent a shock of sound to Will's head, causing him to groan again. Crow looked over quickly, walking over to the bedside.

 

It was a good sized bedroom. A desk of drawers for clothes, with one drawer open and jeans spilling out, a full-sized bed with two comforters on it over Will, with one small hand-sewn quilt folded up at the foot, and a window to the left of the bed, across from the door. But the window wasn't letting in any light.

 

“Hey?” Crow asked in a hushed tone. “You awake?”

 

Again, Will groaned, his face contorted in pain. He squinted open his eyes to see the ceiling and the young man with navy hair dressed in a dark red button-up with a black vest over it, both were unbuttoned giving sight of his skin from his neck to his belly, before the red shirt was tucked into his khaki pants.

 

Seeing someone mildly familiar, Will groaned again closing his eyes. “My head hurts.” He mumbled with a gruff voice.

 

“Oh!” Crow, set down the tray of food on a side table. “Be right back.” He whispered and quickly left the room, leaving the door open.

 

Will squinted open his eyes again, turning to look toward the door, and then up toward the food. He forced himself to roll over a bit and sit up.

 

 _I'm still in the clothes I was wearing at the party?_ Will thought, looking down at his dress shirt that had been undone completely. _It's all wrinkled..._ Will looked over, a hand coming to his forehead to hold the throbbing in place. He saw the food and next to the tray he saw the ribbon from his neck.

 

“Hey I got some pain killers for your headache.” Crow said quietly as he came in the door. He closed it once he was in, then came over and stood next to Will. After he had given Will two of the pills, he handed him the cup of tea.

 

Without any complaint, Will downed the pills and took a sip of the tea. It was sweet like honey and sugar had been added, but not too much. “Earl Grey?”

 

“Yeah. Organic.” Crow nodded, “I think Dove found it in the pantry...”

 

Will rubbed his temples a bit, mushing his hair around some, and then reorganized it a bit with his fingers. With a sniffle and then a yawn, he looked to the food.

 

Crow jumped a bit, suddenly taking the tray and putting it on Will's lap. “Oh. Here! It's for you. I didn't know what you'd like, but I hope it's okay?”

 

Will nodded a bit, as he stared at the food and then up to Crow. “You're the guy from the party...”

 

Crow nodded a bit, slowly. A feeling of dread was coming over him. “Yes.”

 

Will sat in thought for a moment. “I remember the dancing, and then I left... And when I came back you were still there.” He paused, looking up at Crow. He was suddenly feeling more awake as he saw the golden orange eyes watching him. He rolled his eyes, looking back to him, “You do realize kidnapping me will get you nothing, right?”

 

Crow tilted his head, confused. “Uh... why do you think that?”

 

“I can't ransom for anything.”

 

Crow nodded, crossing his arms. “Oh, right. Because obviously I kidnapped you to get a ransom, or sell you off to the black market.” He took a step back and made a mock deep bow. “Forgive me, Your Grace, Marquis Will Bel'vaz of Tahnila.” As he straightened up, he saw the shocked look growing onto Will's face, and saw his skin pale. “...Uh? Your Grace?”

 

Will shook his hands up suddenly, shaking the food on his lap as his whole body moved. “St-stop that! Shut up! I'm not- You can't---” He took a quick breath, feeling a flustered blush of shock coming on his face. “You can't just bestow that title upon Will the Kitchenboy. It doesn't work like that!”

 

Crow stood up, pushing his lips to one side, tilting his head some and raised a brow, creating a very quizical look. “Oh, yes. You're very obviously _not_ the son of Grand Duke Adell and Grand Duchess Lae'ri.” He rolled his eyes, putting a hand on his hip. “Look. We can sort titles and crap out later. For now, why don't you just eat something and concentrate on that headache going away.” He walked to the door, opening it. Over his shoulder he said, “You hit your head when you fell, so try not to think too much. You might make the headache worse.” And he shut the door, walking down the hallway.

 

Will stared after him in stunned shock.

 

 _Okay... So... Either he's teasing me to a really insane point about my thinking I'm the Grand Duke's son... Or, he really_ does _know I'm his son? In which case...._ Will's thoughts stopped in a pause. He was trying to figure it out. _In... which case... That means he wasn't around when the declarations and notices went out._

 

As Will picked at the food, he continued to think back. _But that happened... A year after Mom died, so... RO XX.42? Or was it 43? Must've been 43, cause that's the year Alexander was born._

 

Without noticing himself, Will had begun to actually eat the food. It was delicious, much better than the foods he'd been given as his meals that last few years. This food tasted good and didn't have any questionable ingredients.

 

 _Your Grace, Lady Mia sure has encouraged the strange foods and spices. Dad hated pesto until he married her._ He rolled his eyes inward. _And he learned to love it._


	9. Chapter 9

As Crow closed the door he let out a sigh. Isaac was standing in the hall with his arms crossed and a testing looking on his face.

 

Crow took a few steps, then stopped. “Yeah?”

 

“You're not helping.” Isaac stated bluntly. “You're best bet is just to-”

 

“I know!” Crow answered, turning to the blond. He lowered his voice, “It doesn't sit well with me to let him wander around thinking that he's the only one who knows! It's not right.”

 

Isaac looked down, shrugging a bit. “It's part of the whole experiment. We aren't supposed to tell him anything.”

 

Crow grabbed Isaac's shoulders and shoved him against the wall. “And what happens when he starts doubting reality as something that's fake, huh? What happens when everything he remembers he thinks aren't real? What happens then?!”

 

Isaac looked to the side with a sad look on his face. “We have to just let it play out.”

 

Crow jerked him and took a few steps back. With a huff he started down the hallway, then stopped and turned to Isaac. “I'm not comfortable being in the shadows.” And with that, Crow walked down the hallway and turned down some stairs out of sight.

 

Isaac jumped a bit when a hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to Akiio's red eyes watching him. Isaac frowned, hanging his head. “I'm not comfortable with it, either.”

 

Akiio nodded, patting the blond hair, pulling a braid toward him, then let it fall. “Same.”

 

~*~

 

After Will finished eating the food, he placed the tray back onto the night stand. He swung his legs over off the bed, staring down to the floor. It was wood and lightly honey colored. He tilted his head, his blue eyes swirling with confusion.

 

 _Just what's going on? Shouldn't a kidnapper be more violent and cruel?_ Realizing he was questioning himself into confusion, Will just shook his head and concentrated on observing the room.

 

He stared at the jeans in their folds and messy piles. Then he stared at the doorway and the doorknob; it's copper warm tone, but firm and sturdy.

 

_I didn't hear a lock._

 

Will glanced over to the window that was letting in no light, even though the curtains were open. Curious, Will stood up and walked around the bed in his bare feet to the window. He stopped just short of it, leaned forward a bit and then touched the glass with his right hand's finger tips.

 

 _It's glass._ Will concluded to himself obviously. _I thought it was painted._ Will stepped closer and peered out.

 

It wasn't night time, because there were no stars in the sky. Yet the sky was a deep dark navy, like it should have been nightfall. There were torches lighting the mysterious streets. The roads looked like brick paved together, but it was so dark it was hard to see. As if a black mist hung in the air. Going up and down the dark roads were a few white balls of light based near the brick.

 

_What are those?_

 

Will stared out the window, content for only a few moments.

 

Then his curiosity began to build larger and larger, until it exploded like a popcorn bag bursting within a microwave. The pressure had simply been too much.

 

Right as a clock somewhere rang out with six low gong sounds that echoed through the silence of the room, Will turned toward the door. Almost sprinting to it, Will pulled the door open. He looked up and down the hallway for a sign of anyone. The hall was empty, save for a bookshelf at one end.

 

Will hurried down the hall glancing toward the doors as his pace quickened. Fear and curiousness were mixing and billowing together like a typhoon within him.

 

His blue eyes spotted a stairway, and Will rushed down it. Before he knew it, he was at the base of the stairs. To one side of the next hallway he saw a warm golden light and heard voices speaking, and to another he saw a plain wall with an antique handle on it. _Probably made of iron._ Will briefly thought as he took a breath and hurried to the handle. He slammed into the wall with his shoulder as one hand grabbed the knob and jerked it up and down until the door gave way and burst open. Will stumbled inside to the strange knick-a-brick shop that he had been in the day before.

 

Will took in a breath as he saw the strange bottles, books and various other items inside. A flash of him entering the door across the room from him now passed within his mind.

 

_I've been in here before. This is... This is that shop! Noc- Nock... Knock.... Overturne... Nocturne!_

 

“Hey!” A man's voice called behind Will.

 

With a start, Will panicked and looked behind him. There he saw a blond, the man who had kidnapped him and a man with black hair- all three of which were running toward him.

 

“Hey, wait!” called the same voice, coming from the man with the navy blue hair.

 

Will turned back into the store, dashing across the floor. He slid to the door and stopped, putting his hands to the door again. He jerked the handle, hoping it'd be the turning kind. He noticed it was the kind you put your thumb on the latch and then it would open. It took Will one push forward to realize the door opened inward. He tried again, this time yanking the door.

 

By this time, Crow and the other two young men were in the room. “Wait a second!” called Crow.

 

“Don't go out there!” called the blond.

 

Fear and panic filled Will. He ran through the door. His bare feet came into startling contact with a cold concrete polished pathway as he ran forward, expecting to turn left and heading back out of an alleyway. Instead, when Will got twelve feet out from the store, he ran onto more cold paved brick like he had seen before.

 

Yelping and turning around suddenly, Will looked around. Blurs were before his eyes. He saw flashes of light balls clearing away from him like a crowd, the three young men still on the polished concrete path, and when he looked up he saw no stars in the depressing dark sky.

 

A loud screech thundered through the air, as the loud flapping of wind being moved by leathery wings followed.

 

Crow called to him. “Will! Get back here! Now! Will!”

 

Will looked toward Crow in fear. At that moment he saw the desperate frightened look on Crow's face, with his hands cupped around his mouth. The blond behind him was pointing at something, his mouth hanging open. Will turned to look behind him and then up.

 

A large lizard, like a dinosaur... _No... A... Dragon?_ Will barely had time to think as the dragon landed before him and he fell backwards, his elbows holding him partway up.

 

The dragon leaned it's head forward, it's claws scratching on the brick. It's deep green eyes were surrounded by purples, violets and blues, looking like a poison fog coming upon you. It opened it's mouth, revealing a bright red tongue and sharp pearly white teeth. It's wings opened and blasted down to brace the tips on the stone as another loud screech came forth, and a warm hot air of smelly dead decaying breath blew all over Will.

 

Will screamed a few seconds, falling back with his eyes wide open. He gasped and began to hyperventilate, sure this was going to bring him death. This, right in front of him. This _was_ Death.

 

“Stop!” cried a little girl's voice through the following silence.

 

The dragon's eyes looked from Will toward the store front.

 

“Leave him alone, Matéas.” The girl's voice said with remarkable sternness coated by a confidence Will couldn't place.

 

The dragon shifted it's head upwards, followed by its neck. It opened it's mouth and with another loud screech, the scales ripped off of the dragon's body, leaving behind a slimy mess with scales scattered around. Then, they vaporized and the purple fog cleared with a forced wind revealing a young man with long black smooth hair, with the same frightening deep green eyes. He was dressed in several layers of tunics, tied with thin bands of gold and silver woven together. He looked mystical, but a power radiated off of him.

 

“And why would I want to do that?” he asked the little girl with a smooth voice. It was as if velvet had come from his mouth followed by silk.

 

Will, terrified, turned his head to see the little girl. Even more terror and shock filled him.

 

The little girl was really little. She was a bit taller than Alexander, looking like she was about nine years old. She was dressed in a navy skirt and vest with a cream button-up underneath with puffy sleeves, bare legs and cream ankle socks with navy mary-jane shoes. She had a light blond hair, looking like buttermilk, held up in two pigtails that were giant masses of waves and curls. Her face was framed by flat short bangs with no part and thick lashes over her lime green eyes.

 

“He's under my protection.”

 

The man scoffed a bit, waving a hand toward Will. “I see no mark of protection upon him.” Then he paused, never looking away from the girl. “Give me back the sword and I'll leave him unharmed.”

 

The girl smiled, almost like a child would. But there was something darker behind it, and Will could see it. “It's in transit to the person whom requested I fetch it for them.”

 

The man radiated such anger off of him, it made Will look back at him. “I will have _Invictus_ delivered to me before you will ever have a chance to see it's true radiance revealed.”

 

The girl's eyes thinned. No one moved or said anything as the man turned back into a purple fog, and then a dragon and then flew away up into the sky and finally out of sight.

 

The girl turned to the young men. “Fetch him quickly before someone else decides they want him.”


	10. Chapter 10

Crow nodded and hurried over to Will. He put his hands under Will's arms and helped him to stand again, and led the shocked boy back onto the concrete and then back into the shop. Crow let go of Will once they were back in the bedroom, and Will was sitting back on the bed. Crow felt his cheeks.

 

“Hey, you okay?”

 

Will nodded a bit in shock, though he looked pale. “Wh-... What was that?”

 

“Uh...” Crow straightened back up. “That was Matéas. Uh... well, a god.”

 

Will stared at him, the color coming back into his cheeks. “Just what the heck was-”

 

Crow waved his arm. “Calm down.” Will took a breath, settling a glare on the young man. Crow sighed a bit and gestured to himself with a hand, as he took a few steps back. “Let's start from the basics. I'm Crow.”

 

“Crow? Like... the bird, crow?” Will asked, as he began to calm down.

 

Crow nodded as a knock came on the door. He went over and opened it. The young blond whispered something in his ear. Crow turned back to Will, waving a hand up. “Try and stay put for a bit. I'll be back soon.”

 

Will opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came. And Crow had already closed the door and gone again.

 

Will sighed, slumping his shoulders. He looked to the door again, then over his shoulder to the window. Then back to the door. _Again... no sound of the lock._ Will stood up and went to the door, opening it. He peeked out and down the hall.

 

By the bookshelf he saw the three boys talking to a blond with pointed ears. _The girl from before._ They were speaking in hushed tones. After a few minutes, Crow nodded and headed back toward the bedroom. Will closed the door and hurried back to the bed. Just as he sat down, Crow opened the door.

 

“Alright,” he exhaled heavily. Crow closed the door as he came in and stepped into the room. “I've got the okay to explain some things to you.”

 

“Really?” Will raised a brow, feeling a sour taste begin in his mouth. _Is the fear coming back up?_

 

Crow nodded. “Okay, so... This is a long explanation. Kind of.” He took a breath and began, “First off there's two worlds. But to get from one world to the other, you have to pass through something, kind of like going from one room to another.” He pointed to the door behind him. “You have to pass through a threshold.”

 

Will nodded a bit. “Well, the Threshold is real. There's no 'life and death', more like 'black and white'... They're the worlds of the Humans and the Ghumans.” Crow continued. “Say you survive to be 32 years old right now, as a human. When you die, you'll pass through the Threshold. There, you'll collect your memories, which are stored in giant vaults all over. Once you have them, you can pass to the other side and enter the Ghuman world. There, you'll live for however long you were alive in the Human world. So, 32 years. Again, you'll die. This time, you'll give all of your memories back and be reborn not recalling anything.”

 

Will had sat in silence listening to the crazy story. “What lives on the Threshold?”

 

Crow shrugged one shoulder, like it didn't take any thought to answer. “Gods, demons, ghouls, spirits... Those kind of things.” Crow answered. “They're ranked. Gods always need servants to do their work for them, so they'll trick people and put a mark of protection over the wandering ghouls, which then become spirits. A spirit has protection, and a ghoul doesn't.”

 

Will nodded again. “Then, what are you?”

 

“I'm a human. The blond guy before, he's a spirit, and so is Akiio.” Crow shrugged a bit, “The girl is a rank of god, though very low. So she's in service to another god right now.”

 

“How long are you in service?”

 

“Until we're freed.” Crow shrugged, crossing his arms. He looked to the ground. For a moment there was a flash of something unhappy in his golden orange eyes. “Anyway,” he shook his head, shaking off the uneasy thoughts. Crow looked back up to Will's blue eyes. He saw the air of doubt lingering within them. Even Crow himself thought the basic outline of how the worlds functioned sounded crazy. And even he wasn't sure if they worked that smoothly.

 

“So,” Crow said, clearing his throat. “You're on the Threshold right now. You're a human, obviously, so you live in the human world.”

 

“And you... brought me to the Threshold?” Will asked, his voice going soft. Letting all this sink in was starting to confuse and stress him out.

 

Crow took a second to respond, but slowly he did nod his head. “Uh... Yeah. Lisez asked me to- well to get-” Crow cut himself off and stopped his sentence. “She wanted to ask you a few questions.”

 

Will stared blankly at Crow, and Crow just stood and waited. He was hoping Will was believing everything he was telling him. Crow wasn't lying to him, but Will could tell there were key bits of information being left out.

 

Thinking over his options and ruling out being completely terrified of this whole situation, Will thought, _If I don't find out just what's going on, I'll just keep being afraid. So..._

 

Will asked his first question out of honest curiosity. “Did you die?”

 

Crow's eyes widened a bit. Something about that question bothered him deep inside, and Will could spot that unrest just under the calm surface Crow was showing. Crow forced a smile that appeared genuine and he nodded his head to one side, “Not exactly. I got lost and ended up tricked into working for... Lisez.”

 

“The god?”

 

Again, Crow nodded, almost with a bitter look on his face. “Yep.”

 

There was silence for a few seconds and then Will asked another question. “You can't go back?”

 

Crow turned around on his heel quickly, not letting Will see his face that was starting to show anger. “There's _nothing_ I want to go back to.” He said in a low, quiet and husky voice, full of frustration, anger and many other mixed emotions that piqued Will's thirst to know. Then, louder and clearer, Crow answered, “But I do miss the sun.” He smiled a bit, looking over his shoulder at Will. “Come on. Lisez is waiting for you.”

 

Will stood up and buttoned up his shirt properly as he followed Crow out into the hall. From there, they turned toward the bookshelf and headed into a doorway just on the other side of it. In the room was a fancy office, like an old den you'd find some Victorian houses. A large desk was centered in the small room, with all the walls covered in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves full of books with no titles on their spines, and just in front of the desk was a red velvet chair with a low back. Behind the desk was another red velvet chair, but this one had a high back and the little girl sitting in it.

 

The girl smiled at them, but it still sent a shiver down Will's spine. Something about this room and this girl told him he shouldn't be here.

 

With a bit of apprehension in his steps, Will came into the room and took a seat in the chair. Crow stood behind him. _I don't like this..._ Will thought. Oddly enough, Crow was thinking the same thing with a grimace on his face that Will couldn't see from where he sat.

 

The girl gave a smirk with a glint in her lime eyes to Crow and then turned her eyes onto Will. “Hello, Will.” she said in a soothing, stern voice. It was high and childlike in pitch, but the length she carried her vowels and with confidence she whipped her consonants down, she was giving out an air of mysticism and age.

 

Will nodded a bit to her. “Hi.”

 

“I have some questions for you.” She said, bluntly. “After you answer them, you are welcome to go home.”

 

“Thank you.” Will nodded again.

 

She smiled again. “First, I am Lisez. A god of this realm. I specialize in...” she thought for the right world, as if the obvious one to chose was wrong. “Acquiring... items which others seek. And I treasure and take care of these items until they are delivered. Should anyone _steal_ any of my precious items, they will become my servants, bound to me by _name_.”

 

 _Name?_ Will thought. _Stealing her items? Did... Crow steal from her and now he's lost his name in return?_

 

After her extended pause, Lisez took a breath and leaned forward a bit, squinting her eyes. “Now, Will. Could you tell me who your mother is?”

 

Will blinked, confused. _She... doesn't really want to know about my lineage, does she?_ That was the most boring topic Will could think of being started. “My mother's Lae'ri.”

 

Lisez nodded. “Yes, and your father?” Will's jaw loosened, his mouth opening a crack. The blank, and yet confused look on his face, gave hint to his thoughts. Lisez noticed and shifted closer on her chair. “No need to lie, Will. Everyone here knows your parentage.” She paused, her eyes squinting again, “Humor me and just clarify the name, please.”

 

Will looked around at the empty book titles, then back to the little girl god. “He's the Grand Duke, Adell.”

 

Lisez sat back some, a smile coming onto her face. “What happened on your eighteenth birthday?”

 

Will tilted his head to the side, confused on why she'd want to know that. “It was my coronation party.” He answered. With the silence that followed, Will continued on. “The King and my dad had just made it official that I could become a Grand Duke.” He paused again, waiting for the silence. There was still silence. Again, Will continued talking. “After I came out dressed in the robes for the ceremony, my dad left without telling anyone where he went. We dismissed the party and waited for him.”

 

“No one knew where he went?” Lisez asked, butting in for a moment.

 

“No. No one.” Will shook his head. Then he exhaled, “When he came back in the morning...” Another exhale, this one heavier. “Adell didn't know who I was. He'd forgotten me, and my mom.” There was a longer silence and Will spoke some more. “We tried to tell him, with pictures and stories, who I was and who his wife was. The more we told him...” Will looked to his hands, his thumbs and fingers twiddling and fidgeting together. “The angrier he got. He said he would never forget someone he loved so much just like that, so he figured we were lying. And...” He sighed, “Immediately declarations and notices were sent out. Anyone so much as hinting at the fact of me being his son were subject to spreading falsified rumors, put in prison and punishable to the full power of law.”

 

Lisez nodded. “So you became a servant for your father. Didn't you want to leave?”

 

Will looked up to her. He sat still, watching her as he thought over his answer, recalling the painful days. Finally he gave a small nod. “Sure, but... Soon he married and then Alexander was born.”

 

Lisez sat back, smiling again. “One more question.”

 

Will looked to her, wondering what this next crazy question might be.

 

“Just how broken _is_ your heart?”

 

A blank look came over Will's face. _What kind of question was that?!_ Will sat in stunned silence, not sure how to answer really.

 

Just as he was about to open his mouth, the girl waved her hand in the air. “That will be all. Crow, take him back to the room. We'll have him sent home soon.”

 

Will, baffled and confused, followed as Crow took him by the wrist and led him out of the room and back to the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his feet.

 

Crow watched Will with a kind of sadness and grief for him. “It was... four years, wasn't it?” Will gave a single small nod with a very minute motion of his head. “Twenty-Two now?” Again, another small nod. Crow looked to the side with a sad look on his face. It was almost heart breaking to look at Will like he was now. Any emotion that might've been in his blue eyes under his dusty pink rose hair had all but evaporated into thin air.

 

Crow walked over to his pile of jeans, fished through the drawers for a moment and came back over to Will. He took Will's hand and placed in it a deck of cards in a well-worn cardboard box. “Here,” he said with a smile. “Play a little Solitare before you get some sleep.”

 

Will looked to the deck and then up to Crow as he started to leave the room once again. “What time is it?”

 

“About... four a.m. I think.” Crow answered, as he turned and smiled at Will briefly. “Get some sleep. I'll bring you some breakfast in the morning.”

 

After Crow had left and was almost done closing the door he heard a faint word said. So he pushed the door open and poked his head in to look at Will sitting on the edge of the bed. “Say something?”

 

“Wait.” Will repeated, a little louder.

 

“Yeah?” Crow opened the door more, taking a step in.

 

“Do...” Will started, his words trailing into silence as he was looking down at the deck's box. “Do you really think I'm Adell's son?”

 

Crow nodded with a smile. “Well, sure. I used to live there. I remember seeing all of the articles and stuff about you and your family, almost every month.” Will looked up to Crow, which made Crow's smile grow larger and more reassuring. “There's no doubt about it. You are Adell's son.”

 

Will scoffed with a pained smile and looked back down. “You're a good liar.”

 

This made Crow frown. “I'm not lying.”

 

Will didn't respond for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head. “I... I know I'm not his son, but... it was a nice dream.”

 

Crow's frown deepened and his brows furrowed. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly through his nose as he thought of what to say back to that. “Your Grace.” Will's eyes moved to look at Crow's feet, up just slightly. “Marquis Will Bel'vaz of Tahnila.” Will shifted his head, tilting one side up as he looked at Crow curiously. He saw the sad and frustrated look on Crow's face. “I _know_... that's who you are.”


	11. Act 11

Crow left out of the room, shutting the door quietly after he did. He left back down the kitchen and sat at one of the stools next to Akiio and Isaac. With a heavy sigh, he dropped his head onto the counter.  
  
Isaac laughed a bit and poked Crow's head. “What's wrong?”  
  
“It seems the only emotion that guy hasn't shut off is doubt.” Crow groaned again, letting out another sigh.  
  
Isaac looked to Akiio. “Doubt?”  
  
Akiio nodded. “Logically... He wouldn't want to keep even that emotion.”  
  
“So,” Isaac looked to Crow again. “Will's shut down all of his emotions?”  
  
“Yes,” came the little girl's voice.  
  
All three looked over as Lisez came into the kitchen and sat herself up onto the main counter top. Crow however hadn't moved.  
  
“It seems that Will has shut down to a mechanical level.” Lisez explained. “Right now he's only operating on the basis of doubt, which is a fear emotion. Because of this, he's probably doubting any of this is even real.”  
  
“So he thinks we're a dream?” Isaac frowned, dropping his head onto the counter too. “Aww, but I wanted to be friends with him~”  
  
“None of you can be friends.” Lisez said sternly. Slowly, Isaac and Crow lifted their heads, looking up at her with their chins on the counter. “Isaac, I need you to see about _Invictus_. Akiio, find the missing chalice.”  
  
“There's a 94% chance I won't be able to find it with my current knowledge of it.” Akiio answered.  
  
“So widen your knowledge.” Lisez glared to him. “I won't take 'no'.” She turned back to Crow.  
  
“What if... I don't want to?” Isaac asked, quietly.  
  
“Then I will just order you to do it. Is that understood, _Orion_?” came a man's voice fluttering through the room like a dark fog. It was deep and resonated into Isaac's bones, vibrating them and making them quiver with an unnatural force.  
  
With the sound of the man's voice echoing around them, it brought a sly smile to Lisez's mouth. She knew that it was the voice of their captor, the maestro of their orchestrated actions. _What the hell is he planning?_ Crow thought to himself, before looking to Isaac.  
  
With the sound of his name being spoken, Isaac's blood turned cold and goosebumps ran along his skin. It was as if an icy wind had blown just on him and no one else in the room. The surge of power and energy that enveloped him was suffocating.  
  
“Un-der... stood.” he managed through a nervous gasp.  
  
The devilish smile that grew onto Lisez's face proved she was no ordinary little girl god to be messed with. It hadn't even taken a second before the man had spoke; He must be ancient to have power that effective.  
  
Isaac stood up and left out of the room without another word. Akiio got up and left, too. Lisez reached for the bowl of grapes, plucking one off and stared at it for a moment.  
  
“'What's in a name?' What a silly idea. That names have some kind of magical binding power, eh, _little Crow_?” Lisez looked to Crow as she tossed the green grape into her mouth and swallowed it whole.  
  
Crow stared at her with a fiery anger and frustration burning within his golden eyes. She just smiled to him.  
  
“When you look at me like that, I get the feeling that someday you'll kill me.”  
  
Crow's lips curved into a smile on the edge, hinting at the hatred. “As soon as I find a way to kill a god, you'll be the first.”  
  
Lisez let out a nasally smirk as her eyes thinned once again. She leaned down and patted the navy steel dark mass of hair on Crow's head. “I look forward to it. But for now. You need to address this little issue with Will.”  
  
Crow's eyes thinned a bit and his smile vanished. “You're gonna mess with his head, too?”  
  
“It wouldn't be fair if I left him out.” she said with another devious smile. “Now, go.” She paused, and her smile faltered. “Or do I have to _order_ you to?”  
  
With a disgusted frustrated look on his face, Crow sat up. He said nothing as he got up and left out of the room. Only a bitter taste sat in his mouth as he headed up the stairs to his bedroom. On the way, Crow thought about the resonate man's voice that had echoed when Isaac- or rather, Orion- had questioned Lisez about his next assignment. Crow himself had heard that voice once before too, directed at him. It had been like nothing he could do would make his body disobey the order given to him. If he had been made to kill, against his will, he would have. But that was back when Crow still dared to even recall what his real name was.  
  
In front of his bedroom door, Crow stopped, his hand on the doorknob. _What... Is my real name? The more I think about it, the farther away it seems to be._  
  
He lifted his eyes up to the door, staring into the dark wood grain.  
  
 _Back then, even my eyes were mine and now they're..._ He shook his head, shaking off the uneasy thoughts.  
  
After a few moments, Crow opened the door and peeked into the dark room. Even though the window let in no sunlight of the day that didn't exist outside, there was a mild blue glow of light coming in from outside. It illuminated the room just enough for Crow to see Will laying on his bed on top of the blankets. He didn't look calm in his sleep, but he wasn't looking like he was having a bad dream.  
  
For a moment, Crow just stood there and watched Will sleep.  
  
 _Is there really nothing I can do to stop them from messing with his head?_  
  
Crow's thoughts were frozen, unable to think the next thought. After another moment of blank empty thoughts Crow turned away from the room and closed the door softly. He let out a breath of a sigh and then headed down the hallway.  
  
At the end of the hallway there was another staircase, this one going up. This staircase was far darker and gloomier than the one that went downstairs. Crow went up into the darkness and knocked on the first door he came to at the top of the narrow steps. After no answer came, he opened the door and went in. All that was inside was a small single bed with a pillow on it and a tiny wardrobe next to it. He fished out of the wardrobe some blankets and a pillow case. Soon, Crow was fast asleep on the uncomfortable guest bed.  
  
In his dreams he heard that voice resonate, making his bones shiver. “ _You will help me if you want to be free._ ”  
  
The unsettling feeling licked at Crow's very heart. He rolled over in his sleep and groaned.  
  
“ _You will._ ” repeated the voice, firmly.


	12. Act 12

Will had mumbled his full-titled name to himself after Crow left the room softly. It was like a spell was being said to him from someone else, though indeed it was his voice speaking. It was echoing in his ears.

 

Again, and again Will repeated the name. Softly and quietly the words echoed into the bedroom.

 

It took a few minutes and then Will's eyes widened a little bit. “He... knows. He... knows.” Will mumbled the two words a bit more before something cold fell on his hand. He stopped and looked down to his hand, then lifted it to see the small wet drop on it better.

 

“A... tear?” Will asked, his voice cracking a bit.

 

He put his fingers to his mouth and covered his lips as his eyes squinted shut, making the tears blur his vision. His lashes became soaked with tears within seconds. Unable to bear it, Will closed his eyes tight and doubled over, his forehead onto his knees.

 

 _He knows! But-- why now? W-why am I even crying? I haven't cried in years! This is stupid!_ He cursed himself, softly sobbing into his fingers, enough to let out little gasps of air but no real sound.

 

 _It wasn't... A dream?_ Will leaned farther forward, feeling his heart ache. _If that was a lie, it was a really cruel one! I can't just..._

 

After several more minutes, Will was softly sobbing still, but calming down. He was holding his head as the throbbing of his headache had returned from the crying. It was all Will could do but to let the crying just happen. He couldn't turn it off.

 

He gave in to the headache and the throbbing and just laid back onto the pillows and the blankets. If nothing else right now, sleep could calm him down.

 

_Kidnapped. Lied to. That girl with the elf ears... The bird, Crow. And all around me I smell lavender. Such... a disgusting smell. And... that... dragon who turned into a man._

 

Will's thoughts spun round and round, spiraling towards doubt and fear. Any slight bit of relief or shock he might've felt from the spell of his full titled name that had been given to him from Crow saying it before had all but melted away. His tears had rinsed his being clean and pure of anything. Any thoughts and emotions other than his curiosity, doubt...

 

_No. I can't even doubt now. All I can do is go back and serve Alexander like... Like... Like a good servant should._

 

At that thought, Will opened his eyes briefly. He saw the darkened room in colorful black and navy blurs of light. Nothing came into focus, and he just closed his eyes again.

 

_Not like a brother. Like a servant. Be a servant. I... I am a servant, serving the Marquis Alexander Light Bel'vaz._

 

Outside the room, Akiio uncrossed his arms and straightened up off of the door. With no word or expression he left down the hallway to return to his bedroom. These tears that had been shed were of an emotion Akiio couldn't place its name of, but he knew he shouldn't tell anyone. The feeling deep in his gut told him so.


	13. Act 13

When Will awoke several hours later, the smell of lavender was thick in the air. He groaned a bit, squinting his eyes as he sat up. The smell bothered him, but the headache and itching of his eyes from the tears the night before were just as bad.

 

Thirsty and curious, Will stood up and found his shoes. Once he had them on, again he inspected the window. His heart sank when he saw it was the same navy dark outside with the balls of light and odd air about. _Nothing's changed. Is it even morning?_ He thought.

 

Somewhere outside the room, Will heard a clock strike and ring six times. Will looked to the door after counting the rings. _Six stands for midnight, noon and six... So what time is it?_

 

Wanting to find that clock, Will left out of the room. First he checked the bookshelf down the hall. He looked up the staircase that was dark and ominous. Since he heard no pendulum sound echoing from that direction, he headed toward the other stairway. Down the lighter steps, Will found a kitchen, a study and a dining room.

 

_Nobody's here._

 

He was quiet a moment, standing in the hall as he listened.

 

_I don't hear anyone either._

 

All he could hear was the faint echoing of the pendulum of the clock swinging in a room nearby. As he walked toward the door to the store room, Will noticed the smell of lavender as it grew stronger and stronger.

 

_Strange. I don't remember smelling this when I first got here._

 

Will eased the door open and glanced inside. After a moment, he stepped in. Again, nobody was there. So, Will went and looked over the shelves.

 

He saw a platinum sword sparkling in the low light behind the front desk. Near it, he saw a light switch, and turned it on. A warm yellow orange glow lit the room well instantly. As Will looked around he noticed strange bottles and canisters filled with even stranger names.

 

 _Eyes of a Dragon. Poisoned Toe. Rose Hair. Owl Snot. River Purifier._ Will stopped as he reached the end of one row, noticing the large grandfather clock made out of rosewood against the wall. It's pendulum was made of beautiful brass, swinging back and forth and keeping perfect time. It's face was golden with brass hands, and the roman numerals looked like onyx carved to the shapes. For a few seconds, Will just stared at the beautiful clock. It was taller than him, though just as wide. _Twelve, so probably noon._ He concluded as he took in the sight of the clock.

 

Then Will went back to looking around. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted an old red book on one of the shelves. This one had a title on the spine, written in faded silver, _Lavandula_. Will reached to touch the top of the spine to pull the book out and see it's cover.

 

“Stop!” came a shout.

 

Will jerked his hand back, taking a step back. He turned his head to look at the accuser.

 

Crow, dressed in jeans and a dull red button-up and boots, came walking over to Will. His hair was messy like bedhead, so any refinement he may have had before from their first meeting was gone. Still, there was an air of charm about his face.

 

“You shouldn't touch anything in here.” Crow said glancing to make sure the book hadn't been moved.

 

Will's surprised look on his face melted away. Now, he was getting annoyed. _Annoyed?_ Will questioned that for a split second, feeling his jaw clench briefly. “Lavandula is lavender, right?”

 

Crow nodded, crossing his arms. “Yeah. Why?” He turned, starting to walk back down the aisle toward the door. “C'mon. I'll make you breakfast.”

 

Will looked back to the book. “I've been smelling lavender since I got here.”

 

Crow stopped at the door, turning to look toward the aisle Will was still down. “Say again.”

 

Will came out of the aisle, his sky blue eyes intently focused on Crow. “Why does it smell like lavender in here?”

 

Crow shrugged. “It's a cleansing smell. Keeps out the other smells.” And he turned back to the door.

 

“ _Other_ smells?”

 

Crow stopped again, regretting he'd said that. “Yeah.” he replied, weakly. “Believe me, you don't want to smell the Spider Blood.”

 

“Why?”

 

Crow hung his head a bit. _Damn it. I just need to shut up._

 

“What do you sell here?”

 

Crow turned a bit, looking over his shoulder at Will. He wasn't moving; just standing there with those eyes boring into Crow. Feeling it'd be easier to just stick to the truth, Crow let out a sigh. “Well, we sell odd-ball things. You know, whatever gods and them might need. Lisez makes it a point to get whatever it is her customer is seeking.”

 

“That includes stealing.” Will stated.

 

Crow looked to him. With a small nod he answered, “Yeah. Stealing, too. Even from other gods. If someone wants it, Lisez will get it.”

 

“For how much?”

 

Crow's eyes jerked to Will. The gold in them glinted in the warm light. “Why?”

 

Will answered without thinking, “There's something I want.”

 

And Crow replied without thinking. “She can't bring people back from the dead.”

 

Crow swallowed his words when saw the curiosity in Will zap up into nothingness, and was replaced by a cold empty stare. It could've been a glare, but any malice needed for it to be wasn't there, and the right muscles weren't moved. It was just a stare, but a different one from when Will's curiousness was present a second before.

 

Will finally spoke. “That's not what I want.”

 

Crow nodded a bit. “Right, well. How about that food? It's past noon, so I'm gonna guess you're hungry, huh?”

 

Will didn't say anything, but he started walking toward Crow. With a slight smile, Crow opened the door and moved for Will to pass through first. “After you.” Will glanced at Crow as he walked past, then stopped on the other side. Crow came through and closed the door, and then led Will into the kitchen.

 

“So what do you want?” he asked, starting to rifle through the fridge.

 

Will came in and took a seat at the breakfast bar on one of the stools. “To smell honey.”

 

Crow laughed a bit, pulling out some eggs, carrots and an apple. He turned toward the counter and started to peel and slice the carrots first. “I take it you don't like smelling lavender all the time?” Will didn't answer, just watched. Crow bobbed his head, watching his hands as he chopped the carrot up and started on the apple. “Look. The reason you fainted before was because you got a whiff of Dove's perfume. It's a bit too strong for humans, and it has a strong drowsiness effect. Kind of like valerian.”

 

Will nodded, watching as Crow cracked the eggs into a hot pan and began to make sunny side up eggs.

 

“So,” Crow continued. “Since I got back, a bit after you had arrived, we've had lavender burning all around. That perfume effects me too, and for some reason Lisez doesn't appreciate me sleeping on the job.” He laughed a bit.

 

With no reply from Will, Crow just served up the sliced apple and carrots and the eggs to the both of them. He got Will a fork and himself one, and then they began to eat in silence with Crow across the counter still.

 

When he was halfway through his meal, Will spoke.

 

“I don't want to be here.”

 

Crow stopped eating for a moment. He looked at the expression on Will's face. It wasn't quite sadness, but it wasn't anything but that either. He let out a depressed breath as he looked back to his food, poking an apple slice with the tip of his fork. “I'm sure I'll be able to take you home soon.”

 

“When is soon?”

 

Crow looked back up to him. Will had started to eat his last few apple slices. “Tomorrow...?” Crow guessed, shrugging his shoulders. “I'm not sure.”

 

“She didn't tell you?”

 

“She doesn't get to make the call.” Crow answered.

 

At that, Will suddenly stopped eating. He finished the apple bit in his mouth and then looked up to Crow with a testing stare. Crow looked up after a few seconds, feeling himself being watched.

 

“...What?”

 

Will stared at him for a moment, focusing, and boring his eyes into Crow's being once again. They were fixated on Crow's golden eyes. Studying the glints of gold, and the shimmer as it peered into orange and yellows. It was as if they were...

 

“What color are your eyes?”

 

“What?” Crow asked again, blinking with confusion.

 

“Your eyes.” Will repeated. “What color are they?”

 

“What do they look like?”

 

“...Gold.”

 

Crow nodded. “Then, yeah. They're gold.” And he went back to eating.

 

With an uneasy feeling, Will went back to eating too. The air was uncomfortable around them now though. _It's like they're really gold and not eyes at all. He couldn't have been born with them like that. He's a human, he said. So... Maybe it wasn't just his name that was taken because he tried to steal? Hm... I guess, it's better not to guess. Or assume things. But..._ Will glanced up again to Crow as they ate in continued silence. _They shimmer just like the King's golden crown and jewels._


	14. Act 14

After they finished eating, Crow gathered up the dishes and took them to the sink. “Do you wanna play some card games or something while you wait?”

 

Will looked over from the table to the sink, “Wait? For what?”

 

Crow shrugged a bit. “Well, for the okay that you can leave. I’m sure I can find a deck of cards laying about somewhere.”

 

Will thought it over a moment. Playing games sounded like a decent distraction, but it wasn’t quite what he wanted to do.

 

“What’s Lisez doing?”

 

“Out looking for something.” Crow answered as he started to dry the dishes.

 

“Isn’t that what she has you guys for?”

 

Crow shrugged a bit, his movements slowing as he thought over his answer carefully. “Well… She… can’t really boss me around. But she has three people out doing jobs for her at the moment, and she’s doing something.” He glanced over at Will. He was sitting there staring at Crow with those blue eyes, listening intently. Crow could feel that intensity trying to squeeze all the crucial bits of information he had been leaving out.

 

“If she can’t, then who can?”

 

Crow turned fully to look at him. “Uh…” He shrugged a bit. “That doesn’t mean Lisez can’t threaten me, ya know?”

 

Will didn’t say anything for a moment. He looked down to his lap at his relaxed hands, focused on the lines in his palm. “She’s threatening you?”

 

“More… or less.” Crow shrugged, and he went back to putting away the dishes.

 

“Why?”

 

Crow rolled his eyes at that. _If he keeps asking I’m gonna blurt out something that’s gonna get me skinned, dammit._ His shoulders slumped as an uncomfortable lump and emotion sunk into his gut all over again. “I can’t really tell you.”

 

“Then tell me why I can’t go home yet.” Will replied, getting annoyed. “Can’t I just open the door and head home now? I don’t need an escort or anything.”

 

“No.” Crow answered, turning suddenly, “You can’t go home yet, so just shut up and wait!”

 

If this had been four years ago, Will probably would’ve jumped from the sudden outburst of anger. But instead, he had been expecting it. So he just settled on a glare resting on the other’s being before him.

 

Slowly, Will stood, and pushed the chair back in at the table. “If you insist, sir.” And he gave a curt nod, continuing a glare at Crow as he left the room and back down the hall.

 

Crow put his hands onto the edge of the sink, straightened up into an irritated posture, rolling his eyes and bit the corner of his lip. “God dammit.” He sighed after a minute, then started after Will.

 

Crow found Will had returned to the bedroom. With a surprised look, Crow watched what Will was doing from the doorway.

 

Will had sat himself down on the floor next to Crow’s bed, which he had smoothed out. On the edge of the bed he’d laid out the 52 cards of the deck Crow had given him before into a horizontal line running the length of the bed. Though they were overlapping each other in an odd pattern that Crow didn’t recognize right away, he understood what they were meant to be when he saw Will lift his hands.

 

Slowly Will held his arms out with a slight bend in them. He moved his fingers along each of the cards in a certain way unique to how they moved as if they were hitting the black and white keys of a piano’s keyboard. On some of the upright-facing cards, Will held a finger down longer then another. He’d pause and then move his hand to the left, while his head moved smoothly to the right.

 

The melody of the keys was echoing inside Will’s ears. He could hear the sustain pedal hit right when he needed it, and the soft pedal for the softer notes he wanted to give a depth to the music.

 

Crow crossed his arms, smiling a bit as he leaned against the door stop. It was a strange sight to behold. Will was playing the piano with 52 keys, nearly half what a normal piano should have. And yet, Crow could tell that was all the range Will needed for the piece running in his mind just then.

 

After a few minutes, Will lifted his hands away, and let them drop back to his lap. _Even if it’s in my head, I can tell the strings should be tuned and better taken care of._ He thought, thinking back to the one grand piano in the house that he liked to play. _Even so, it offers a warm tone of age to the music that newer pianos don’t have._

 

Will was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a soft applause behind him. Crow smiled a bit, clapping his hands.

 

“I imagine that was pretty and slow, huh?” Crow asked.

 

Will turned his head a bit to see him out of his peripheral vision. “Probably.” He paused, turning back to look at the silly arrangement of cards. “How long were you there?”

 

“The whole time.” Crow chuckled a bit. “You like playing the piano?”

 

Will didn’t answer as he stared at the cards. That question felt heavy and large; Far too big for his mind to fathom at the moment. “No.” And he jerked his hand up, messing up the card-keyboard, flinging the middle-left of the cards out of place and over the bed.

 

Crow frowned a bit, walking in to the room. “Hey, now.” He started to reorganize the cards into the way they were, even though he wasn’t sure what that had been. “If you do, then you do. No harm in that. Right?” He aimed a smile at Will.

 

Will had his head down, as he had an upset glare settling on the cards.

 

“I dunno what happened… But why are you his servant?” Crow asked, still shuffling with the cards.

 

“I already told you.” Will answered. “…You’re doing it wrong.”

 

“Then you do it!” Crow straightened back up. He watched as slowly Will lifted his hands and he began to reorganize the cards into the pattern they had been in before. Crow stood there and watched him in silence. “Why’d he hit you?”

 

Will didn’t answer, focused on putting the cards back. But his body language showed that he had heard the question, and finally he answered softly. “Because, I spent my earnings on some expensive pastries for his birthday.”

 

Crow’s brows furrowed. “That’s it? He seemed…” He shrugged his shoulders, “More upset at something else.”

 

Will’s head lolled to the side briefly, “Well… I keep… Doing things that a son would do.”

 

Crow watched and waited for a further explanation.

 

“But…” Will stopped, moving his hands back into his lap. “I’m not his son.”

 

Crow moved to say something, but Will started speaking again.

 

“A son would be memorable. And _I_ am not.” Will’s eyes thinned into an upset glare. He began to slightly adjust the cards in an OCD manner to straighten them out perfectly on the quilt. “To him, I’m just a strange servant who acts strange and is strange.”

 

“Isn’t ‘strange’ just another word for ‘unique’?” Crow tried to cheer him up, smiling some.

 

Will shook his head. “No. It just means he doesn’t want me around.”

 

Crow’s jaw loosened. The sadness that was coming off of Will was suffocating Crow. “Why?”

 

Will shrugged a bit, still not looking at him. “I’m not his son. He only keeps me around for Alexander’s sake.”

 

Before Crow could say anything to Will to progress their conversation in anyway a voice echoed deep within his head. Just as it did, his sight vanished completely away into a black empty void. _Be careful what you say._ The voice was heavy, powerful and left a pressure on Crow’s eyes. It was the same powerful voice that had ordered Isaac around earlier. The pressure didn’t leave, as if his eyes were being squeezed in the grip of a hand. It left an immense pain to say the least.

 

Crow yelped loudly, and suddenly, making Will jump and turn to look up at him surprised. Crow was holding both his hands up to his eyes as he doubled over to his elbows and knees. He gritted his teeth as his body tensed.

 

“W-what’s wrong?” Will asked, shifting to put his hands on his shoulders.

 

Crow moved his left arm just enough to jerk it and swing at Will, pushing him back. “Don’t touch me!” he shouted, as he fell and pushed his forehead to the floor.

 

Will sat back, surprised. He shifted over again and tried to touch Crow’s head. “Tell me!”

 

“Get back!” Crow shouted again, swinging his arm at him. “Dammit.” He let out a louder shout, “Fine! Stop it already!”

 

Will stared at Crow as slowly all the muscles in his body began to relax again and return to normal as he laid onto the floor in a ball with his face down in his palms against the flooring.

 

“What was that?”

 

 _Just a god being a fucking bastard._ Crow thought. He rolled his eyes and sighed as he pulled himself to sitting up again. He opened his eyes again, blinking a bit to clear his sight again to normal. “Nothing. Just a caught nerve.” He rubbed his temple briefly.

 

Will nodded a bit, not believing him.

 

“Sorry I snapped.” Crow answered, rubbing his eyes again.

 

Will tilted his head to the side, moving his jaw as he ran his tongue over his teeth inside, thinking what to say. “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

 

“Nothing.” Crow replied, as he started to rub at them again. When he looked back to Will he was able to read the face easily. _That wasn’t nothing._ He shrugged a bit sitting back. “What?” he asked, making a smile. “Are my eyes putting a spell on you?”

 

“No.” Will answered flatly. Crow’s smile slowly went away.

 

“Then what is it?”

 

“Are they gold?”

 

“You said they were.”

 

“No.” Will shook his head. “Like, real gold.”

 

Crow smiled a bit. “If they are, I should cut them out and melt them down, huh? Be good money in the pocket.” Will just stared at him, and again Crow’s smiled evaporated into nothing. He looked away, over to the arranged cards. “Yeah. They’re gold. Like the metal. They aren’t my eyes.”

 

Will sat there surprised, looking over Crow and his posture quizzically. “Then… what… What happened to your eyes?”


	15. Act 15

Crow’s eyes turned to look at him, even though his face remained in profile away from him. “Ever heard of ‘an eye for an eye’?” Will didn’t answer, but that sick feeling grew into his gut and Crow could tell that Will had understood the reference.  
  
They sat in silence once again. There had been a lot of that over the course of the day. They just didn’t have much to really talk about that was fun or interesting. They were just stuck with each other, and neither one was sure if they really liked that or not.  
  
They sat in the silence, with only the soft muffled sound of the clock seeping its way into their ears. Finally, Will asked his oddball question that had been building with fierce curiosity. “Can you see colors?”  
  
Crow looked to Will. He had been slowly un-perfecting the alignments of the cards and Will had been re-perfecting each card as Crow messed with them.  
  
“No. I used to though. It’s just a boring monochrome scene now.” He answered with a hint of sadness.  
  
“So… You can’t see any color?”  
  
“None.” Crow replied, moving one card to the left, and Will moved it back to the right.  
  
They sat in prolonged silence, with Crow moving the cards just slightly and Will moving them back. After twenty minutes of this pointless game, the sound of high heels echoed through the halls.  
  
Crow stopped and turned looking over his shoulder to the open door of his bedroom. “Sounds like Dove’s back.”  
  
“Where’d she go?” Will asked, straightening a card out.  
  
“Matéas, I think.” Crow answered, straightening up. He ruffed his hair a bit and lifted his arms up in a tall stretch. “You want anything from the kitchen?” He asked as he started to leave the room.  
  
Will turned, watching him leave with a blank look. “No. I’m fine.” Crow waved his arm and turned out of the bedroom. Will watched the doorway for a few seconds, listening as the sound of Crow’s footsteps fade, and then he heard the soft murmur of the two talking in the kitchen.  
  
Suddenly, Will shifted up, and hurriedly pulled on his socks and shoes from under the bed. He grabbed the ribbon from the nightstand and wrapped it around his neck, tying it into a quick bow. Then he glanced around for anything left of his in the room, before he took quick soft footsteps to the door. He peered out into the hall, looking left and then right. Quickly, but with soft steps, Will went back into the storefront, and back to the door.  
  
Slowly, he reached to put his hand to the handle, hesitating slightly. What if it doesn’t take me home? It could just lead to another dragon or something worse. But… Waiting for them to decide what to do with me just … It’s sickening!  
  
Decided, Will forced the door open and ran out onto the concrete. He stopped a few steps out. The atmosphere was unexpectedly different than what he had expected. Will couldn’t make out anything as he was now standing in a heavy white fog. It was so cold and heavy that the water drops were freezing in the air, floating, almost not moving, all around him. As he breathed, the breath turned into a thicker white cloud before slowly easing away into the rest of the air.  
  
Surprised, and once again curious, Will looked back in the direction he had come out. There he could see the dark rectangle leading to the inside. It wasn’t clearly defined, but it was there. Feeling slightly reassured that he hadn’t walked off a cliff, Will turned away from the door and slowly took a few steps looking around. Will could see clearly to his elbows, and could make out the shape and location of his legs and feet and what he was standing on, but anything farther then about his height at five-feet was nearly impossible to make out until he came closer.  
  
As Will explored farther from the door, and his only sense of safety, he noticed that he was in some city area. He could see a few benches, wide open areas, a fountain that was devoid of water. Will stopped, staring at the empty fountain. It was clean, as if the water had just been there, or it was brand new.  
  
This is weird.. Will thought, turning to look behind him. His mouth opened slightly as the realization that his way back to the door was gone and lost in the white fog. As the feeling of fear pushed its way over the curiosity, Will turned his head away looking back to the empty fountain. And just like that, the fear had evaporated.  
  
It’s fine. He said to himself. No one will miss me, cause no one needs me. Will gave a small nod, reaffirming it. It was a common mediation, pulling the focus back to the fact that if Will continued to dwell on the unhappy thoughts, the sadness would just eat away at him until there was nothing left for anyone to even see.  
  
Yeah. Will turned away from the fountain and continued walking onward. I’m so small. They can’t see me, even if they wanted to. They can’t hear me, even if I shouted with all my might. It’s fine. I can move out of their way, and they won’t miss me… Cause… Will stopped, his thoughts and walking.  
  
He looked down a bit, toward his hands as he lifted them up. His mouth opened some as he realized he had been feeling depressed. Slowly, his eyes widened with the shock, his lips curled back as his jaw clenched tight and he grit his teeth. He looked like he had seen a ghost and was getting ready to scream. It was terror. Will was afraid.  
  
“Hello.” came a soothing warm woman’s voice suddenly to his ears. It was faint, like the fog, but ever present.  
  
Will’s face relaxed as his eyes opened into a different sort of startled expression. He looked up and around, listening for the voice again.  
  
“You seem to be sad and afraid. Right?” the voice questioned. It was warm, like a mother’s voice. It reminded Will of his own mother’s voice; one he hadn’t heard in five years.  
  
Still afraid, Will looked up and around. He couldn’t see anyone through the fog. Hearing voices isn’t a good sign.  
  
“You shouldn’t ignore me.” She said, but still in a soothing way. “I only wish to help you, dear.”  
  
Will looked behind him, down by his feet and then straightened back up. “Sorry. I just, wasn’t sure where to respond to.”  
  
“That’s fine.”  
  
“Who are you?”  
  
“Oneirhōn.” She answered. “I am the goddess of dreams and emotions linked to them. That is why… I can tell that you are filled with powerful and sad emotions. So strong are they that I want to offer you a pleasant dream.”  
  
Will looked up quizzically, feeling a pout on his lips. “That’s very kind of you, but a dream is just a dream.”  
  
“My dreams are the kind that will guide and liberate you.” Oneirhōn corrected with a firm tone, in a motherly fashion. “Being on the Threshold like this, your emotions are being multiplied and it’s difficult to manage them. Isn’t it?”  
  
“Why do you know that?”  
  
“It’s easy. Humans aren’t meant to stay here for very long.” She answered, as if she were reciting a fact everyone knew. “Even Ghumans can’t handle being here for very long.” She paused, “Now. When a god offers you a gift, you should be grateful and humbly accept it.”  
  
Will crossed his arms, “Just like when the King offers you a pot of gold, huh?”  
  
“I see you haven’t lost your sense of sarcasm.” And for a moment Oneirhōn didn’t say anything more, and Will was sure she had gone. But then she spoke up again, “Young boy. You are in so much pain, I would think you’d want to get away from it.”  
  
“But you’re offering a dream.” Will answered sternly. “And dreams are just--”  
  
“Dreams.” Oneirhōn cut in. “Yes, but that’s part of their magic. You could always wake up, should you dislike it.”  
  
Will looked down a bit, thinking the proposition over. It’s not a bad offer. He thought, thinking over the logics of dreams. If it was unpleasant, he should wake up from it, and… Regardless. You have to wake up from a dream eventually.  
  
Uncrossing his arms, Will gave a small respectful bow. “I would like to accept your gift, madam goddess.”  
  
Then, the air of the fog began to move. Will jumped, stepping back a few steps. Then the white fog wrapped around his legs, like a soft cloud blanket. It forced him to sit as he was lifted off the ground a few inches. Uneasy, Will looked off of the cloud ‘bed’ that had been made around him. He reached over and was able to touch the cold concrete of the ground without falling off the clouds. With that sense of security, that he wouldn’t fall far, Will shifted and laid back.  
  
“Please, relax.” Came Oneirhōn’s voice. “Allow the feeling of sleep to come to you naturally. Don’t worry, as the pleasant dream will come to you.”  
  
Though uneasy about this whole idea, but hopeful… Will shifted back, rolled onto his side a bit, and closed his eyes. Having a nice dream every once in a while would be nice.

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	16. Act 16

“Will!”  
  
A man’s voice broke into the peaceful world of Will’s dream. It was a sunny day, clear and happy, like when his mother was alive. Before everything bad had happened. The voice jarred the white clouds into dark billowing storm clouds, the wind picked up, and a torrent of rain began. The earth shook below Will’s feet as the voice shouted louder.  
  
“Will! Wake up, Will!”  
  
Will looked around startled, reaching out for his parents. His smiling mother dissolved into a skeleton, her bones shaking as they fell to the ground and blew away in the wind. Turning to look at his father, Will saw the warm fatherly smile turn into a hardened glare.  
  
“You aren’t my son!” his father’s voice echoed. And as Adell turned away, the wind whisked him away like a scene straight out of _The Wizard of Oz_.  
  
Will’s eyes were wide and baffled. He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted. “Hey! Come back! Anyone!”  
  
“Will!” the voice broke through the wind, howling with the fierce gale.  
  
He covered his ears, starting to fall in on himself. Closing his eyes tightly, Will shouted and screamed, “No! No! Why did this happen? I just wanted a break from it! So why―“  
  
“WILL!!!” The shout interrupted, jerking the winds into a large gust blowing Will to the ground. It sounded more desperate and concerned.  
  
Then, the dream around Will vanished. With a gasp, his eyes shot open to be blinded by the light of the sky above him. He instantly closed his eyes and re-opened them a moment later, squinting, to see a shadowed figure leaning over him. He groaned, letting his eyes focus onto the figure.  
  
A sigh came from the figure as the head was hung, and Will could make out the dark navy hair, and then the pale skin as the face turned back up with those golden eyes, looking him over. “Thank god.” He paused, “Are you all right?”  
  
Will blinked a moment, not saying anything. He shifted a bit, sitting up to his elbows. Crow backed up and watched as Will straightened up to be sitting. Will looked around them a bit, seeing that all the white fog had disappeared. He was laying on the ground next to the stone fountain, only it had water running through it now. He could also see small white flames and lights moving around them, leaving a wide area clear though so as not to interfere.  
  
Then Will looked back to Crow with his answer, his voice soft and plain. “Yeah.”  
  
Crow sighed again in relief, shifting a bit to stand. “Can you get up?” He offered Will a hand, who didn’t take it. Will shifted a bit, getting up slowly, drunk on sleep still. “What happened? Why were you out here?”  
  
Will continued to look around them. The area was a courtyard of some kind with tall city buildings, like 100 stories tall of apartments, and taller. Their tops vanished into the dark clouds of the sky above them.  
  
Then he looked back to Crow. “I was dreaming.”  
  
Crow gave him a confused face, his lip tilted to one side harshly with his brows down. “Dreaming?”  
  
“Yeah.” Will looked up and around them, looking for any sign of the whiteness that had enveloped him before. “It was a good dream. A goddess came, and offered me a cloud to sleep on.”  
  
Crow’s eyes widened instantly and his jaw dropped open. “Wait,” he raised a hand, “Goddess? Offered you something?” Will nodded shortly, looking to Crow. Crow could see the sleepiness still hanging on the other. “For free?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Crow’s eyes thinned a bit, “Well… That’s uncommon.”  
  
“She seemed nice.”  
  
Crow waved a hand, “They all do, more or less. Until they tell you what they want.” He sighed a breath of frustration. “Anyway, let’s get back.” He reached for Will’s arm, but looked up to the blue eyes when Will stepped back from him.  
  
“No.”  
  
“What? Why not?” Crow asked, his arm still outstretched.  
  
“I’m not going back there.” Will answered, his brows ever so slightly showing a look of anger as they arched downward.  
  
“You have to.” Crow answered. He put his hand on his hip. “Gods eat souls. And you are a soul that’s unprotected; A fine delicacy to them.”  
  
“Then take me back.”  
  
Crow looked away, sighing a bit, then back to Will. “I told you. I can’t.” He grabbed Will’s arm. “What did that goddess do to you?”  
  
“Nothing.” Will protested, a bit of anger sparking through his voice in a crackle. He stepped back again, trying to pull his arm away. “She just gave me a nice dream.”  
  
Then, like a lightbulb went on in his head, Crow knew exactly which goddess Will had run into. He grabbed the collar of Will’s shirt and pulled him forward. “No! She didn’t! It was a trap. She was trying to kill you.” Will settled his face back into its dull look, with a slight hint of a glare burning through the blue to Crow. “Don’t you understand? If I hadn’t woken you up, you would’ve died!” Still, Will didn’t say anything.  
  
Crow yanked Will’s face close to his in his anger. “Why don’t you care?!”  
  
Plainly, Will questioned Crow back. “How would that help anything?”  
  
Crow grit his teeth, his frustration boiling over. “Look here! If I hadn’t have found you, you would’ve died! And death doesn’t let you escape anything! Not reality, not sadness, _nothing_! All your pain and sadness that you _refuse_ to feel _right now_ are multiplied by ten when you die, and you are stuck living with that pain until you pass over again and are reborn as a human!”  
  
Will’s blank look tipped the frustration Crow felt over the edge. His golden eyes burned and glinted. He jerked and shoved Will down to the concrete. He loomed over him, grabbing Will’s collar up, he pulled an arm back and was poised to punch him.  
  
“Don’t you get it?!”  
  
Will just then shouted. “Stop it!”  
  
Startled, Crow let go and stepped back off of him.  
  
Will panted with gasps of frustration, his eyes wide. He himself was startled that he had yelled. Crow watched as within seconds Will had composed himself back down to an emotionless young man. He watched as Will shifted back to standing, but refused to look at Crow. Crow opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he heard Will’s voice.  
  
“Even if death was right on my neck, it was a happy dream.” He paused, speaking softly. “And, I haven’t had one of those in years. So… Please, don’t… Don’t tell me about the sadness and the pain that’s waiting for me when I die.” He forced a small smile, fake and amused, but a smile. “I kinda feel like I have enough already.” And at that he turned his head, looking up to Crow’s golden eyes with a smile on his face.  
  
Crow’s lips and jaw loosened and relaxed as he saw that sad look in Will’s eyes. _He looks like a kicked puppy!_ Crow wanted to ask: _Why don’t you tell me about what you feel?_ But, he felt that asking that of Will, right now, would be too much. Instead, Crow swallowed his question as he felt a haunting chill writhe over his spine.  
  
Crow turned and started to walk away. He stopped, looking over his shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s head back.” Will’s small bitter smile had melted away to a blank look once again.  
  
“ _Summon him closer._ ” Came the haunting man’s voice inside Crow’s skull, rattling his core.  
  
“I know you don’t want to…” Crow added, “But, I’m asking you to.”  
  
Without another word said, Crow started to walk back toward the building he had come from. It was noticeable because of a few certain stains and engravings of symbols on its wall. Even if it was just another one of the many apartment-like buildings, the engravings on the door of large cursive and decorated _N_ ’s was all Crow needed to distinguish it from another. That, and there was a tug inside at his eyes, such as a anchor’s line would keep a boat steady.  
  
Will looked around him a bit, rubbed his forehead a bit groggily. Then, slowly started to walk after Crow. Crow had left the door open and was already back inside at the kitchen getting a cup of water. Will came in quietly, closing the door behind him. Crow glanced to the kitchen door as he saw Will walk by. Even though he was walking upright, something about his demeanor looked dejected and sullen.  
  
Crow looked to the water in his hand, thinking about going to talk with Will.  
  
But a voice stopped him. “If you go, it’ll interfere.”  
  
Crow’s eyes thinned. His gut twisted into a sharp knot. Anger raged inside him like a torrential tribute to the damned. With a tightened grip on the glass in his hand and a glare inward, the only thought that went through Crow’s mind was: _You’re sick_.

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	17. Act 17

Back up in Crow's bedroom, Will sat himself down on the edge of the bed.  
  
 _What am I even doing here still? Couldn't I have gone home?_  
  
Thinking to himself in the silence, all he thought about was home. And the more he thought, the more Will realized how sad he felt. How alone. His mother was dead. His father had forgotten him. His step-mother hated him and wanted only her son, Alexander, to shine in the eyes of Adell.  
  
While thinking himself into a spiraling depression, Will stood up and busied himself with cleaning up Crow's room. He folded and put away all of the clothes, made the bed, picked up all the trash and discarded it into the trash can. He organized table and dresser tops, replaced shoes in alignment on the floor and even began to sweep the floor with the palms of his hands, on his hands and knees.  
  
There was a soft knock on the door and it opened a moment later. “Hello~?” came a young man's voice with a happy curious tune.  
  
Will looked up to see a young man with sunshine blond hair and eyes as blue as the pure sky. He didn't look too much older than 17, and had an energetic, yet sweet, smile on his face. And in his arms he held a tray of sweets-- several cupcakes, slices of pies, a bowl of strawberries and grapes, and a tea cup filled with Earl Gray tea with two small cups of honey and sugar cubes.  
  
He frowned a bit at Will's sweeping the floor with his hands. “Oh! You shouldn't be doing that! You never know what Crow's got on the floor in here.” He gestured to the tray, lifting it up some. “Anyway, I brought you food. I thought you might be hungry for some real food.” He walked past Will, setting the tray on Crow's bedside table, that was now clear. Will shifted up, brushing his hands off on his pants briefly and then walked toward the blond.  
  
“Oh, right! I'm Isaac.” he smiled at Will. “I saw you earlier when you had made your great escape outside.” He shook his head smiling, then sat himself right down on Crow's bed, making himself all comfortable. “They have no idea what real food is here- only sugary treats like this are worth eating when you're stuck in a boring dark place like this. Wouldn't you agree, Will?”  
  
Will, baffled and surprised by how talkative Isaac was, nodded a bit. He picked up the cup of tea and put a few sugar cubes into it before taking a sip. “How... uh...”  
  
“How long have I been here?” Isaac asked for Will. Will nodded a bit. “Hm, well over three hundred years by now, probably. Maybe even more!” He laughed a bit, giddy and happily.  
  
Will stared at this blond. He was energetic and happy. The dark air of tension that hung over Crow didn't even seem to apply to Isaac.  
  
“...You look happy.” Will stated softly.  
  
Isaac smiled at Will, brightly. “Well of course. I'd rather be here on the Threshold then in either of the other worlds. Sadness, pain, drama-- there's enough of that here. And I have no reason to remember all the pain and torture I was in before coming here. It's like just a bad memory now.”  
  
Will looked down at the tea, staring at his reflection.  
  
“So!” Isaac interrupted Will's empty thoughts. “I'm sure you must be wanting to head back home by now, right?” Will looked up to him and then nodded. “Bah. What is there for you to go back to? Your mom's dead, dad's a lost cause and he's got his own family anyway. Why head back? You know how the world ticks now, and you could be much happier just hanging out here in the between~”  
  
Will frowned a bit and shook his head. “I don't think so.”  
  
Isaac smiled again, tilting his head to the side. “Really? I'm perfectly happy here. Why wouldn't you be?”  
  
Will looked up to him opening his mouth to reply but then swallowed his response when he saw that happy look on Isaac's face, and looked back down to the tea.  
  
“Really, tell me, Will.” Isaac said softer, with more compassion in his voice.  
  
“Well, I'm not sure why you came here, but I'm here against my will.”  
  
“So why not make the best of it?”  
  
Will shook his head, hanging his head more so Isaac could hardly see his face now.  
  
“I mean, you are here now.” Isaac paused, “Do you even wanna go home? Do they even want you?”  
  
Will shook his head. “No... They don't. But...” Will paused, feeling his voice shake. Alarmed by the onset of the emotions and feelings he hadn't allowed himself to feel in four years, Will started to shove and push them back down as hard as he could.  
  
Isaac frowned, “Then why even go back?”  
  
They sat there in suspended silence for several minutes. Will thinking over his answer, and Isaac waiting patiently for it.  
  
“It... It's my home.” Will answered softly, but there was a firmness hanging on the final word.  
  
Isaac pursed his lips, shifting his weight so he was teetering forward and back like a child on the edge of the bed. “Mm, I supposed I'd have to envy that.” He paused, “Having a home, I mean. I never really had one. In fact, I chose to leave the world of the living on my own. Abuse, betrayal, greed, anger and sadness-- that's all I saw. Anywhere and every where around me. When I came here, I saw that the world really is more then just that. I may be in a Bind right now, but... It's nothing like before.”  
  
Will turned his head up, looking at Isaac. Isaac smiled at him, shifted and stood up. “Anyway! Here are some nice sugary treats for you. They're good for cheering up the soul and all that.” He pointed at the pies and sweets, then took the teacup and saucer from Will and placed them back onto the tray, and then took Will's hands into his own. He stepped close to him, pushing their foreheads together.  
  
“I'd feel bad if you went back to all that abuse and greed willingly.” Isaac stated smiling at him. “Do you really want to?”  
  
Will nodded a bit, looking down. “It may be bitter, and me just being stubborn, but....”  
  
“But?” Isaac smiled, his blue eyes showing a genuine worry and heart for Will.  
  
“But I'm...sure Adell's my father. I know it as a fact in my head, but I can feel it in my heart.” Will closed his eyes, feeling them sting with the start of tears.  
  
“You don't sound sure?” Isaac asked, leaning back so their foreheads weren't touching. He squeezed Will's fingers some to reassure him.  
  
Will shook his head, hanging it down again. “I only know the fact now. I can't honestly recall any memories with him. Am I even his son? Or... am I someone else's? I just... I don't know anymore.”  
  
Isaac looked away, thinking of how to respond as supportive as possible. Then he looked back to Will and forced a sweet smile. “Hey. It doesn't matter who your dad is!”  
  
“Yes it does!” Will shouted, pulling his arms away, glaring at Isaac. “And why can't I remember!” He gripped his head, his fingers messing up the locks of pink hair. “Why isn't it there?!”  
  
Isaac frowned, putting his hands on Will's shoulders. “It'll be there when it's ready.” He smiled when Will looked up to him with another glare. “You'll see. What matters now is-- Crow's phobia of bedhead!”  
  
There was silence between them.  
  
Slowly Isaac grew a smile. “It's true, Will! Crow's afraid of having bedhead. Or anyone seeing that he has one. He's really funny about his hair looking a certain way. He can't stand it being all cute and fluffy and messy.” As he said this, Isaac fluffed his fingers through Will's locks, fluffing and musing the curls and volume of his hair around.  
  
“He's really cute about it too!” Isaac laughed as he played with Will's hair, starting to braid one section above his left ear. “If you even try to touch his hair at all, he ducks away from you! And he blow dries his hair and brushes it, and washes it every morning after running into the bathroom with a blanket covering his head so you can't see his hair!” He giggled and laughed.  
  
Will grabbed Isaac's wrist, smiling a bit at him. “Maybe he just does it so you can't see.”  
  
Isaac laughed. “Maybe so!” He fluffed Will's hair around some, and then eased out the braid. “Anyway, how about we get you in the shower, hmm? You look like you could use some hot water on your face.” He rubbed one of Will's eyes gently, getting the loose tears out.  
  
Before Will could really respond, Isaac had dragged him out the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom. He'd instructed to him about the shampoos and other soaps, told him about the towels and where to leave his clothes. And after a quick sprint out of sight, Isaac returned with some yellow pj-shorts and a long pj-button up top.  
  
As Isaac returned downstairs to the kitchen, he noticed Crow picking at some pasta with a fork in a grumpy manner.  
  
“He cleaned your room spotless, so you should thank him later.” Isaac said smiling, sitting across from Crow.  
  
Crow grumbled a bit, “How nice~ A servant cleaned my room cause he felt the need to. Bleh.”  
  
Isaac glared at Crow. He shoved the pasta onto Crow's lap, making the other yelp.  
  
“What the hell?!”  
  
“You're such a jerk!” Isaac shouted, standing up. He slammed his fist down in front of Crow. “He didn't do it for some stupid reason like that!” He grabbed Crow's bangs tightly into a fist and held their faces together. “Think a bit before you say something laced with stupidity.” Isaac jerked Crow's head back as he pushed him away and stormed out of the room.  
  
As Isaac came up the stairs, he was pulled suddenly into Akiio's warm embrace. Isaac fought him for a few minutes, then settled down, and relaxed into the welcoming hold. He sighed heavily.  
  
“You shouldn't lie to Will.” Akiio said plainly.  
  
Isaac shook his head, “I had to. His memories are being shuffled around and tampered with-- how could I tell him that?” He turned to look into Akiio's red eyes. “How? How could I tell him?”  
  
Akiio stared back plainly with no compassion present, but it came through in his words. “If you had, you'd be tortured.”  
  
Isaac hung his head onto Akiio's collarbone. “I know... But... It's not fair that his head's getting messed with and we can't do anything about it.” He paused, hugging Akiio around the middle. “Crow's right. I don't feel easy waiting in the shadows and watching as Will's head is freely being messed with in front of us. Can't we do something? Anything?”  
  
“No.” was all Akiio said.


	18. Act 18

Will stood still surprised in the bathroom by the door after Isaac had shoved the yellow pajamas into his arms and closed the door. Figuring there was nothing else better to do than to shower, Will stripped himself out of his clothes after he rested the pajamas onto the vanity. He examined his options for soaps and shampoos, settling on one that seemed the least magical.  
  
After he cleaned himself up, Will sat in the tub letting the water from the shower-head wash over him. Steam filled the room and eased Will into thought.  
  
 _What's happening to me here? The longer I'm here the more pain I feel from my emotions... But why am I letting them get to me like this?_  
  
Anger and frustration, mixed with sadness and pain. Those were the bitter emotions Will felt at the moment.  
  
He thinned his blue eyes as he stared at the water pooling on the polished glaze of the tub before it went down the drain. _These bitter emotions... They only drag you down._  
  
Suddenly Will stood, letting his eyes be blank of sight as the blood rushed through him in chaos after standing too quickly. _And I don't need that._  
  
Just as his sight was returning there was a loud slam against the bathroom door making him jump with a start.  
  
“Open this damn door right now, Dove!” came a very angry shout, probably at the top of their lungs. Then another slam and then the door knob shook. “Open it! I have to get in there!”  
  
Will startled, shifted out of the shower, pulling a towel around his waist.  
  
“I know you're in there! Now, if you'd be sooooo kind~ GET OUT!!!” Came another shout and a few bangs, probably from their fist against the door.  
  
Will turned off the water and went to the door. He unlocked it, using a few seconds to compose all of his emotions and stuffed them down as a rock drops into a pond. Slowly, Will opened the door with a curious look on his face. His blue eyes met golden ones.  
  
“Finally, you took... long.... enough...” Crow's anger evaporated as he realized who had been in the shower. His wide eyes took in the sight before him. Even though it was black and white and gray from his achromatopsia, Crow wasn't dumb enough not to realize that Will looked really sexy like that.  
  
Will had a curious look in his blue eyes housed by his crisp black lashes, with a few water drops clinging to them. His lips looked soft and wet, and his hair was smoothed back with a few small strands stuck to his cheeks and forehead. He had one hand holding the door open from the inside, hiding part of his body, but Crow could take in that Will had a towel only loosely around his hips and what lurked beneath that towel...  
  
Crow couldn't take anymore of the sight he beheld, reached up and yanked the door shut.  
  
His mouth stood gaping open as he tried to formulate clear words.  
  
The first words spoken came from the other side of the door, a small soft voice. “Didn't you want in here?”  
  
Crow's eyes jerked to the floor as he held the door shut firmly. “What? No~. No, no. No, no no no no no no no. No, no. Uh...You-- You just uh... Take your time and uh...”  
  
“Are you sure? I'm done.”  
  
“Ye-Yeah I'm sure. Please, uhm... Take your time and I'll uh.... --Don't mind me.” Crow let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he hurried away from the door and back down to the kitchen.  
  
Hearing Crow walk away briskly, Will opened the door wide enough for just one eye to assess where he had gone. Seeing that Crow had indeed left, Will shut the door. He glanced back to the shower and then to the pajamas. He didn't feel comfortable enough to get back into the water, and just started to dry himself off instead. After he hung up the towel on a drying rack and had dressed himself into the yellow pajamas, Will left out the bathroom.  
  
He looked around for a moment for any sign of Crow, or anyone else. He saw the young man in black with red piercing eyes staring at him as he leaned with his arms crossed leaning against a door down the hall. He straightened up and waved at Will.  
  
“This way.” He said just loud enough for Will to hear.  
  
Feeling he shouldn't ignore this summons, Will walked toward the man in his bare feet. As Will got closer to him, the young man tilted his head down in a small bow-like nod.  
  
“Akiio.” He said simply, then turned and started down the hall.  
  
 _I guess, that's his name?_ Will thought to himself briefly, then followed him down the hall.  
  
Since it was so dark, it was hard to keep track of where Akiio was walking but after a few moments, he stopped and opened a door. He gestured for Will to go inside. Will glanced at Akiio's red eyes briefly before he went into the room. Inside it was a warm small study with several books and sofas and chairs that all looked extremely comfortable to sit in.  
  
“ _Oh, thank you for bringing him to me, Akiio._ ” came a velvety masculine voice emanating from a strong aura of power. Will looked to one of the high-backed chairs and realized what he thought was a pile of expensive silks and fabrics was actually the strange dragon-man he had met briefly before outside.  
  
Will took a step back, remembering that this man was a dragon and had wanted to eat Will. Akiio's hand rested on Will's shoulder as he had backed into him.  
  
“ _Do come in, young man. I didn't come to eat you today. I merely offer you a proposition._ ” the man said with a slight smile, his long black hair smooth and flat like silk framing his green eyes. “ _Should you choose to accept, you will be under a special Protection Seal not offered often to people: A Blessing._ ”  
  
Akiio pushed Will a bit more into the room as he backed out and closed the door. Will looked to the door and then back to the god.  
  
“You're... Matéas?” Will asked unsurly.  
  
A sly smile that Will wasn't sure was the best thing to have happen, appeared on the god's face.  
  
“ _Indeed. I am Matéas. God poisons, vapors and powders and other things people associate with both protection and death._ ” Matéas answered coolly. “ _And you? Who are you?_ ”  
  
Will opened his mouth to answer, knowing the fact of his history... But. Something was wrong. The information wasn't there. His memories of reality were so shaky that he couldn't recall anything. And as this realization came over Will, his blue eyes began to widen. He remembered what Crow had called him just earlier, but now it seemed like a lie.  
  
Matéas's smile faded. He stood and like a fog, he moved toward Will, his fabrics and hair flowing with a mysticism. He stopped a few inches from Will, towering over the 5'3” young man, as he himself stood at 5'11”, nearly a full head taller.  
  
“ _How sad._ ” Matéas stated plainly, but with an echo of pity in his voice. The sound of that pity made Will's eyes jerk up and he glared at the god's green eyes. Still, the god did not waver in his expression. He lifted a hand and touched it to the top of Will's head, gently moving the damp locks of pink hair to the side.  
  
“ _You poor little honeybear. Someone is cruelly playing with your mind, flipping over the swatches of your memories and mixing them up into a shattered mess._ ” Matéas spoke slowly, and softly. His words moved like velvet over Will soothingly.  
  
He lifted Will's chin, forcing him to look up at him. Will saw a sadness in Matéas's forest-green eyes. 


	19. Act 19

“What... do you mean...” Will paused, taking in the serious emotional expression being given to him by a god. “Playing with my mind?”  
  
Matéas straightened up, “It's really very simple. Gods have powers over other creatures, though limited. We exert more power over those we have Bound.”  
  
“Bound?” Will took a step back from him.  
  
He nodded. “Bound.” He paused briefly, gesturing an arm up into the air around them. “Like all of the people holed up here, they have a Protection Seal of Binding upon them. It protects them from another god consuming their precious soul and devouring them. But, it also means that they are bound by their souls to the god who imprisoned them, sometimes in a gruesomely painful manner.” His green eyes glanced down to Will's blue eyes. “Such as a possession, forced to share their mortal body with the soul of a god which cannot be contained as such. Some gods like to enact other painful procedures upon their imprisoned souls to make sure they do their bidding.”  
  
Will's eyes thinned, “Like turning their eyes to gold?”  
  
Matéas turned to look away with a shrug. Will stared at him, waiting for an answer. He let out a sigh after a moment, “Yes, in some cases.” He smiled a bit, turning to look at Will again. “But in any event. I came here for a reason, little honeybear.” Will tilted his head a bit to the side.  
  
Matéas took a step toward Will, leaning down his eye level. “You must want something, right?” Will asked.  
  
“As all gods do. Did little Crow tell you that?” Matéas asked with a dry smile, seeing the nod being returned. He made a sad voice, but his smile carried through still in a mysterious manner. “You see, we gods live forever, and as naturally such, we get... Angered with one another from time to time. And this time, a god that's in a Bind under the god here has stolen something very precious of mine in order to benefit her own petty desires.”  
  
“All desires are petty.” Will cut in flatly.  
  
Matéas paused, smiling, leaning down slowly to look into Will's eyes. He saw close to no expression or emotion there on his face.  
  
“There's a hint of anger in your eyes and your voice drips in bitterness.” Matéas said coolly. “Tell me not who has betrayed you, but who has imprisoned your shattered glass heart.”  
  
Will's stare remained and silence filled the room.  
  
It was as if an icy glare lacking of all malice was being placed upon the god from Will. He wasn't angry at Matéas, but at his circumstances, and himself for letting it bother him like it had.  
  
This... isn't how I want to be. Why can't I just be more grown-up? Will thought to himself in the silence that followed, as Matéas had straightened up and crossed his arms.  
  
“Honeybear.” Matéas said after several minutes. “Maturing and growing older doesn't mean forfeiting all of your emotions so that they no longer exist. If that were the case, how would mortals imagine and create things, and continue to live between the cycles?” He smiled, looking to the pink hair. He fluffed the locks some with his hand. “Sometimes,” he paused, pulling Will's head up to look at him, “All that is required is a little forgiveness.”  
  
Will's blank stare widened a bit. Then his eyes thinned as anger filled his being. With control in his voice, a slow husky voice came from his throat created by the rage within him. “Forgiveness is for children.”  
  
Matéas smirked a bit, “And bitterness is for the weak.”  
  
Will looked down and away from him. How could he understand anything?! He wasn't there! He doesn't know about anything of what I've been through! How could a god understand anything that happens to a mortal?!  
  
Matéas tilted his head to the side, a smile growing onto his face. “Look up.” He gave his order short and curt, and Will fell for it. Will had jerked his head up angrily, getting ready to shout at the god.   
  
Matéas had grabbed Will's chin and held it firm, while with his other hand he placed on Will's shoulder, holding him still. He leaned down, with his mouth open, his sharp fangs glimmering. A deep heavy purple and green fog suddenly came erupting from within Matéas' throat, surrounding Will in the cloud. It felt warm, scorching Will's skin with the aerosol poisons.  
  
Will tried to take a step back, opening his mouth to yelp from the pain, but he covered his mouth and nose with his hand, closing his eyes tightly. In his ears echoed another order from Matéas, low and husky. “Inhale.”  
  
With his eyes still closed, Will slowly dropped his hand and inhaled the painful gas with a soft gasp of pain.  
  
Matéas let go of him, and backed away. Within a few seconds, all of the smog had dissipated into nothingness. Will's skin stung and burned where the poisons had touched. But inside his body, Will's lungs burned on fire. His esophagus felt like it was melting away. Grasping at his throat and chest, Will fell to his knees.  
  
“Don't worry. When you need my help, I shall come.” Matéas had said soothingly to Will while stroking the top of his head. “This Protection Seal: Blessing will keep you safe from that god tampering with your head anymore.”  
  
He straightened up and left the room, saying as he closed the door to Will still collapsed on the floor. “Though the pain only lasts an instant, it is the physical manifestation of your bitter and sour emotions locked within.”  
  
~*~  
  
Crow walked around the kitchen with the pasta stain seeping into his clothes. He paced quickly with brisk steps and a wide gait. His face was flushed bright red.  
  
“You sure are embarrassed easily. All it took was a brief glance of a human body nearly identical to your own.” came a voice echoing through Crow's ears.  
  
Crow stopped and threw his arms up into the air. “What the heck? It's not cause it was nude~”  
  
A deep chuckle that shook Crow's sanity back to normal vibrated through his being. “Out of all the humans, you sure are one of the most interesting to have Bound.”  
  
Crow rolled his eyes. “God, thanks. So much.”  
  
“Crow.” came the voice again, this time with a sense of firmness and power. “You need to return that boy to his home tomorrow.”  
  
Crow looked around, brushing his hair with his hand. “All right.” He sighed a bit. “You want me to get Adell while I'm at it?”  
  
There was silence, and as the seconds passed leading to no response coming Crow's heart began to pinch. “There is no need. Will is far more intriguing.” And with that, the pinch in Crow's heart turned into a sharp pang.  
  
Crow swallowed his immediate disgust, “Just how far do you intend to play with his mind?”  
  
A chuckle sounded, as the god was clearly amused by Crow's interest. “Directly, not for much longer. Matéas is appointing a new bishop to the game.”  
  
Crow's golden eyes panned down to the floor. A chess game of the gods is not really something anyone should be involved in.  
  
“What piece are you?”  
  
“Don't you know? Players are outside of the rules that control the pieces.”  
  
At first Crow didn't say anything back. He just thought over the situation. “What does that make me?”  
  
“A Knight, of course.”  
  
~*~  
  
Now Will was sitting on Crow's bed as the other was shuffling with some blankets and pillows on the floor making himself a cot. Crow had changed into some pajama pants, a tank and a dark green bandana wrapped around his hair tightly.  
  
“All right,” Crow finally said after he had organized all of the blankets down on the cot. “Oh,” Crow turned to Will. “I'm taking you home tomorrow.”  
  
Will tilted his head a bit, confused and startled. “Really?” he asked softly.  
  
Crow nodded, putting his hands on his hips. “Yeah. I got the okay, and it's safe for you to go home now.”  
  
“Safe?”  
  
Crow shrugged, “Something like that.”  
  
Will nodded a bit, looking down. I can go home? But... did they even miss me? Would they even want me back? Do they even remember me? Or have I just forgotten them?  
  
Crow smiled a bit, starting to lay down on the pile of blankets. “You'll do better if you don't think on it too much.”  
  
Will looked up to Crow, watching as he had settled into his cot and pulled a blanket up over his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol im sorry im too lazy to make the separator's centered cause it's not working in rich text mode lol and too tired to redo all of the italics needed in this chapter e.e;


	20. Act 20

It didn't take too long for Will to settle down to sleep once again in Crow's bed. It was very unlike the hard flat bed he'd been sleeping in the last four years as a servant. It was soft and cushy, but very firm, like a brand new bed might be.  
  
Crow's dreams were forgotten nightmares of his past; the ugly he hid away. He slept lightly, always on the brink of waking due to the unsettling nature of his dreams; Tormented by his father and his life. The only thing that allowed him to sleep were brief glimpses of happy memories.  
  
While his mother was usually the focus of his memories, one that Crow would never recall in the morning was a time when the family had been invited to a birthday party of a high-ranking noble's son. The event was apparently a big deal because the king was to attend. Dressed in his fanciest attire made of cotton, for young boys to play in, Crow had stood at his mother's side. She was tall and regal looking, but very humble with her gentle motherly smile. Her long hair was down for the occasion with her bangs pulled back into braids and the hairs framing her face had been curled. With a simple coral lipstick and curling her lashes, she had such an air of beauty about her. Crow was proud to be standing next to his beautiful mother, his hand in hers. His father, dressed in some fancy get-up that made him look stiff at the collar, was forcing a smile while mingling with a General and Lieutenant.  
  
The birthday party was hosted by the family at their very own large manor, like an estate, out in the gardens. The father and mother of the birthday-boy were seen talking to the King, while the young boy was sitting in a mock king's throne up in a gazebo looking rather quiet and shy.  
  
“Honey,” Crow's mother had said to him in a sweet loving voice as she knelt down to him, her gown floating down like a butterfly around her legs as she did. “Why don't you go say hello to the birthday-boy?”  
  
Crow made a pouting face, “I don't want to.”  
  
His mother just had a sweet smile that grew ever larger, “Now that's not very nice. You're here as a guest. And as such, a gentleman would at least go and offer best wishes.”  
  
Crow just kept up his pouting face, like all little boys do when they don't want to do something.  
  
“I urge you to. He's very nice I'm sure.” She said, ruffling Crow's dark wavy locks around. “And I'm sure he has a smile as beautiful and strong as you do.” That made a small smile sneak it's way onto Crow's face. She smiled again at him reassuringly. “Go on.” And she patted his head, straightened up and walked away from him.  
  
It would be the last smile of kindness she'd ever give her boy.  
  
Crow had wandered over to the little boy, not too sure how to say hello. At first, from a distance, he had thought the pink on the boy's head was just some sort of hat or scarf he had been forced to wear. But as he got closer, he noticed it was the boy's hair. That confused Crow on any kind of compliment he could give. For who could compliment a boy with pink hair honestly?  
  
Still, Crow tried his best. “Hello,” he had said in a strong yet happy welcoming voice. The little boy had glanced up at him, not saying anything. His bright blue eyes were obviously surprised that someone had come over who he didn't know. Their luster and sheen caught Crow off-guard, so much that he just gawked. “Wooooooow~” Crow had said staring at the eyes as he came closer. “Your eyes must be made of the sea!” He had said in a baffled tone, his own light blue eyes staring back.  
  
The little boy, surprised at the comment had tried a smile when he noticed that Crow's eyes were just about the same blue as his own. “Maybe... the same sea as yours.” He had said, in an equally baffled tone, though much softer and shy.  
  
Crow's face grew a grin and he smiled widely at the little boy. Still nervous and reserved, the boy did smile back nearly as wide.  
  
The dream shattered like glass at the sound of Crow's name being called softly by the same boy, only this one much closer to his ear.  
  
Crow shifted a bit, rolling his head over to glance toward his bed. He made a sleepy grumble to offer his disapproval on this notion of being awoken from a rarely-given nice dream.  
  
“Crow. Are you awake?” came Will's voice through the dark in a soft whisper. It sounded desperate and near tears.  
  
Crow inhaled slowly, closing his eyes and let out a sigh. “Yeah... I'm up.” He shifted some to get comfortable enough again to sleep.  
  
“I can't-- I can't feel my leg!” Will's voice answered in that same tone.  
  
Crow opened his golden eyes, blinking them a few times. “Can't feel it?” He rolled over and shifted up. He saw Will was sitting up on the bed looking pained and afraid. Crow got up and went toward the bed. “Here. Swing your legs over.” Will did as instructed, wincing at the stinging and immense pain. “Which one?”  
  
“My left.”  
  
Crow took the bare ankle into his hands and began to massage and apply pressure upwards and downwards. “How far up can't you feel?”  
  
“Uh... a-about halfway up my thigh.” Will answered, watching Crow with wide eyes.  
  
Crow moved his hands toward the knee and massaged the calf, then the thigh, up and down, and then back to Will's foot. And then he worked his way back up, gently but firmly massaging the skin as if pushing and pulling the blood inside.  
  
Will winced and gasped, “My foot's hot.”  
  
“That's the blood.” Crow answered, blinking briefly to wake up more. “You must've laid in a way that cut off the circulation to your entire leg, which the lack of blood or something woke you up.”  
  
“Oh...” Will answered, feeling more than slightly pathetic now. He winced again as Crow pushed and pulled at Will's thigh toward his knee and started back at the knee and worked down. “How did you know what to do?”  
  
Crow shrugged a bit. “You learn a lot of medical crap being a...” Crow's words trailed off and he acted as if he had finished his sentence.  
  
Will waited a moment before asking, “Being... A?”  
  
“You must remember your mom a lot, huh?” Crow asked suddenly.  
  
Will nodded, “Uh, yes. I guess. … Why?”  
  
“My mom died when I was just a kid.” Crow answered, kind of bluntly.  
  
That made Will start to shift to pull his leg back, but Crow didn't let him. “I-- I'm sorry to hear that.” He paused, looking down at Crow's hands. “How did she...?”  
  
“Not sure.” Crow flatly said. “My...” He stopped, seeming to force down an anger that was coming up. “My dad said, she went crazy. The gods got mad at her for being so beautiful. And they killed her.”  
  
Will frowned, opening his mouth to say something, yet he couldn't think of a comforting thing to say. After a moment of silence while Crow continued to massage his leg, Will leaned down and stroked Crow's head ontop of his bandana. “Judging by your charm, I'm sure your mother was extravagant.”  
  
“Heh.” Crow let out an airy silent laugh. Then, he let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah.” He paused, his hands stopping at Will's ankle. “She was.” He smiled a tad at that thought. Then the frown returned.  
  
Will straightened up a bit. He wasn't sure what to say to cheer Crow up. Then after a few seconds, he realized Crow was still holding his leg, even though now it was tingling back with full feeling restored. “You... can let go now.”  
  
Crow blinked, staring at the leg before him with a kind of sadness. “No.” He mumbled softly as his eyes drifted down to the foot, his hands grazing to the ankle. Lifting Will's leg up, one hand under his foot and the other at his ankle, Crow brought the top of the foot to his lips and gently placed a soft kiss on the sensitive skin. He heard Will let out a soft short gasp. With his eyes closed, Crow removed his lips and whispered against the skin, “I will protect you.”  
  
Will shivered, letting out another bit of air. “You don't... Have to.”  
  
Crow thought to himself, _You're wrong. I have to. I have to at least try._ Without a word aloud, he let go of the leg gently and shifted back to his pile of blankets on the floor. “Your leg should be okay now. Let's get some sleep.” And he pulled the blankets up and burrowed back into them again.  
  
Will pulled his legs up and back under the covers. He sat a bit dumbfounded for a few seconds before looking over to Crow's back. “Uh, good night.” He said softly, almost a whisper.  
  
Once Will was laying down nice and comfortably in the blankets, and just shutting his eyes, he heard the soft response from Crow in the dark.  
  
“Night.”


	21. Phase 21

As Crow returned to his dreams, he was placed back in time, once again a little boy. Crow and the little boy had a play-date while their mothers were chatting. The four of them, along with a few servants, had gone down to the bay. They were up on some cliffs of the cape with the port south of them. The two beautiful mothers were sipping tea and happily chatting while the boys were playing in some flowers.  
  
“Have you come here before?” Crow asked the little boy, who was making a strange castle out of a pile of flowers he picked.  
  
“Nuh-uh.” The little boy answered.  
  
Crow stood up suddenly, grabbing a daisy from the pile, “Well then!” the little boy pouted up to him, standing up to grab the flower back. “I know where wild roses grow! Wanna see?”  
  
The boy frowned a bit, looking toward their mothers who were out of ear-shot. “Uhm... Okay.”  
  
Crow placed the daisy behind the little boy's ear, adding a snowflake of white to all of the pink. He smiled at him and together they ran off toward the grassy cliffs. Laughing, they jumped across a gap in the rocks and headed toward a piece of the cape that had been separated by weathering.  
  
“Oh wow!” the little boy smiled. The entire top of the rock was covered in small wild roses, pinks and reds, mixing with beautiful greens. “It's so pretty!”  
  
Crow smiled, settling in a patch of ivy that was slowly taking over the roses. Together the two played and talked as if they were the only ones there. For a while they just sat in silence, the little boy playing with the leaves and poking Crow with them as he laid down to sleep under the cool wind and hot sun.  
  
As the temperature dropped bringing in cold mist and wind, Crow sat up, looking to the sky. The little boy had fallen asleep next to him, leaves and flowers sprinkled over him. Crow shook him awake as the wind became stronger.  
  
“Let's head back, Will.” He said. The little boy nodded and stood up.  
  
As they headed back toward the gap in the rocks to the cliffs they noticed how dark, wet and windy it had become. And worry was coming over them. Back at the gap, Crow judged the distance, took a few steps back and made the jump. He slipped a bit at the edge but hurried himself up to safety. He turned back around and called to Will, “Come on, it's okay!”  
  
Will took a hesitant step forward, looking down at the water crashing the rocks below and at the distance to jump. He shook his head, “It's too far!”  
  
“You did it before!” Crow called, trying to sound brave. “Just take a few steps back and run.”  
  
Will looked at him, their blue eyes connecting. He turned around and took a few steps back, then turned back toward the gap. He mustered his courage, after looking hesitantly around about the wind, and ran and made a leap for the cliff.  
  
At first, it seemed okay. He made a good jump and had poised his body well. But when he landed, Will's feet slipped on the wet rocks, as some of the clay beneath caved and he fell down yelping. Crow hurried to the ledge seeing Will a few feet down, clinging to a sharp rock.  
  
“Will! Are you okay?” Crow called down.  
  
Will, sobbing and crying called back up, “Yea-yeah! We shouldn't have done this! I'm sorry!”  
  
“Hang on!” Crow shouted back, as he got down on the ground and tried to stretch his hand towards Will. “Grab my hand!”  
  
Will glanced up and shook his head, pushing his face into the rocks again. “I can't!  
  
“You have to!”  
  
“I just can't!”  
  
Crow stared at him, his mind racing as he was thinking of ideas. “Then...” he muttered and then shouted, “I'm coming down!”  
  
“No! You'll fall too!”  
  
“No I won't!” Crow shouted, as he shifted around and started to carefully climb down the wet rocks.  
  
Will shouted his name up, it being lost to the wind and time. “--n... Don't!”  
  
“This is easy!” Crow shouted, trying to sound like he was having fun. “Any knight could do this! You just hang on!”  
  
After a few minutes, Crow was close enough to Will that he could grab his hand. “Okay, come on. Let's go back up.”  
  
Will shook his head, his blue eyes showing open fear at Crow. They were both getting soaked, and beaten by the wind. Will's face was getting covered in dirt, along with his clothes, and his hair had some flowers, petals and leaves stuck in. Crow didn't look much better, but he wasn't as dirty.  
  
Frustrated, Crow grabbed one of Will's wrists and put it over his shoulder behind his back. “Then hold on tight!”  
  
Will with eyes as big as saucers, shifted carefully and wrapped his other arm around Crow's neck and locked his hands on his wrists.  
  
“You good?” Crow asked once he felt Will on his back. He felt the nod and heard the whisper of a yes. Crow let out a gasp of air, looking up through the rain toward the top of the cliff. It looked much farther now.  
  
Still, Crow carefully started to climb up. He'd put his hand on a hold and pull at it a bit testingly before he held on and let his weight rest there before he moved his other hand up. It was a good thing, too, since a few of the holds couldn't take the weight of both of them and broke away.  
  
Near the top, both boys looked up in a start as they heard their voices being called by a worried woman. Instantly they started shouting. Not a minute later, Will's mother was at the top of the cliff looking down at them, her hair gathered back into curls and braids in a bun-like style.  
  
“Hurry up here, boys!” she called, but didn't reach down to help.  
  
Crow nodded and with renewed vigor climbed the last holds up to the top. Once they were back up on the edge of the cliff, Will was about to roll off Crow, but they yelped as his mother grabbed both of their arms and with one swift pull had pulled them a good three feet from the edge before hugging them.  
  
“Oh, are you okay? Are you all right?” she settled back, looking over the two of them as they shifted to stand. Will sniffled and cried some more, hugging his mom as she had smiled at Crow.  
  
The sound of the sobs were taken in the wind and Crow couldn't remember what happened next. His dream shifted to when he was waking up. He was inside somewhere warm on a soft large bed with a comforter over him. He heard the sound of a lyre being played, a soft soothing tune.  
  
He sleepily rolled his head to the side, his blue eyes looking at the figure that was snuggled next to him. The pink hair was dry and fluffed, the face clean and the large blue eyes staring right back. Will looked worried, but Crow pushed a small smile in the corner of his lips, and Will softly returned the smile.  
  
“Don't worry, dear.” came Will's mother's voice, soothing and calm. “I told your parents that you saved my little boy and will be resting here for the night.”  
  
“Am I in trouble?” Crow asked.  
  
The lyre stopped playing.  
  
“No,” she answered. “Tonight you acted like a real knight. Something not every eight-year-old would do.”  
  
With no more words said, she continued playing the lyre again. Crow looked back to Will, who snuggled his head into the sheets and shut his eyes. Crow smiled a bit, closing his eyes as well.  
  
When he opened them, Crow was staring at the wood floor looking under his bed. _Back to reality I guess._ He thought with a sigh and shifted up. He looked over to the bed, seeing Will sleeping peacefully in a ball with only his pink hair visible from under the blankets. He chuckled and stood up. After a stretch, he headed to the bathroom for his morning shower.  
  
Will woke up not long after. After a few yawns and rubbing of his eyes, he stretched and headed out of the room and down toward the kitchen. As he got closer the tantalizing aromas of pancakes, hashbrowns and sausage drifted toward his stomach.  
  
Will stood baffled by the  kitchen counter, as on top were several plates all with different dishes that looked and smelled delicious. One had perfectly made pancakes with butter and syrup sitting next to it, another had a mountain of hashbrows crispy and soft, and a third had sausage looking moist and delicious. There were a few empty plates stacked and a large bowl of grapes at the end of the counter.  
  
“What's this?” Will asked, looking to Crow at the sink.  
  
Crow looked up with a surprised look, like he was sad to state the obvious. “I call it breakfast?” He said. Then he grinned, “You're the first one up. Take a plate and whatever you like~”  
  
Will looked to the delicious spread and then to Crow. “Thank you.” Though he really wanted to question it.  
  
As soon as Will had filled his plate and was sitting at the table eating, he heard a happy giddy voice. “Oh my god, that smells awsooooome!” and in rushed the blond Isaac. He reached for the whole plate of pancakes, but his hand was hit right on cue by a wooden spatula.  
  
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Crow cursed, “Those are for everybody!”  
  
Isaac whined, “But they're the best part!” Reaching for the plate again, and again his hand was smacked.  
  
“No!” Crow retorted quickly.  
  
Isaac sadly got a plate and put on one sausage, a small dab of hashbrowns and three pancakes. Then he smothered the plate with syrup and went and sat next to Will. “Morning~” He said cheerfully.  
  
Will stared at the plate swimming in syrup but had no time to respond as the blond woman, Dove, and Akiio just came in. Dove, in a high-pitched girly voice squealed, “Oh my gosh! Human fancy breakst!”  
  
“Breakfast.” Akiio corrected.  
  
Dove rolled her eyes and just began to serve up some of the food. Will watched quietly, eating some of the grapes he had taken first. “You humans and your funny words. It's just food!~”  
  
“Just food?” Isaac gaped, looking to her. “This is the breakfast of champions!”  
  
“Only without the bacon.” Akiio pointed out, now with his plate full and took a seat next to Isaac.  
  
Isaac whined, “You're right!” He snapped his head to Crow. “Oi! Bring out the bacon!”  
  
Crow slammed his fist down, “Screw you! You don't get any!”  
  
“Why not!” Isaac asked indigently. “I'm a prince! I want bacon!”  
  
Crow glared at him, “Well, too bad, your majesty! You ain't gettin' any!”   
  
Isaac whined, looking to Akiio. Akiio got up and took the whole plate of sausage before Dove could get any and brought it back to Isaac. He moved the plate of syrup and replaced it with the sausage. “Eat.”  
  
Isaac gaped at the plate and then back to Akiio, hoping he was kidding. Akiio just settled back into his chair and returned to his meal. Isaac stared at the sausage a moment, then glanced to Will, who was quietly eating his meal one piece at a time while watching them.  
  
“Do you want any?” he asked hopefully. Will shook his head, continuing to eat the grapes, and then started on his pancake.  
  
“Crooooow~” Isaac turned his head back to the kitchen.  
  
“Shove it!” came Crow's curt reply.  
  
Isaac was about to whine again before his chin was grabbed by Akiio and his mouth forced open. Within a second a piece of sausage had been pushed in and Isaac's eyes closed tightly, as he made a pained noise.  
  
“Eat.” Akiio gave the blunt order.  
  
It took Isaac a few seconds, all in hopes of Akiio releasing his chin. But when he didn't, Isaac slowly began to chew and eat the sausage, finishing with a pained look on his face like he'd just been fed something sour.  
  
Dove giggled and laughed, “This is divine~” She exclaimed while eating some of the hashbrowns.  
  
Crow came out of the kitchen and sat in the last empty chair with his own plate. He reached for the sausage and his hand was slapped away by Akiio.  
  
“Hey! I made it!”  
  
“Isaac.” Akiio replied. Crow glowered, his chin going sideways as he showed the clear tension. “Meat.”  
  
Crow looked to his plate of pancakes, syrup, hashbrowns and salt and then up to the plate of sausage Isaac was being force-fed. “I want... the sausage. Now.”  
  
Akiio ignored him, continuing to give the meat to Isaac against his will. Crow glared, feeling the anger boiling up. He was a man who needed some of his own meal he had just cooked.  
  
Will shifted his plate up without a word, and with his fork pushed his four pieces of untouched sausage onto Crow's plate.  
  
The kitchen fell silent, as Crow stared at him. Everyone did, actually.  
  
“Thank you for this meal.” Will said in the silence.  
  
“Thank you.” Akiio added.  
  
“Thanks~” Dove chimed in, and Isaac just nodded his head, muttering a thank-you with a mouthful of sausage.  
  
“Y.. You're welcome.” Crow said with a nod, looking down to the sausage on his plate.  
  
The rest of the meal went on with Dove telling Akiio what to feed Isaac next against his will, Akiio listening more or less, and Isaac whining like a baby about eating all this sausage he didn't like. He kept going on and on about how he survived on sugar and how was his blood going to cope with the shock of meat in his system that wasn't bacon.  
  
Crow glanced to Will every now and again. It was still there-- all those years Will had been given lessons in table manners and proper etiquette. Though it was lessened some from his few years of being a servant, Will still ate politely. He didn't stuff his face or eat too quickly. He cut his food properly with his hands in the right positions. He kept his chin parallel to the table while eating and kept his back pretty straight.  
  
 _Still a marquis even now._ Crow smiled at the sight, and continued eating his meal quietly.


	22. Phase 22

After they finished eating, Isaac and Akiio left to do something after being summoned by Lisez. She was in a bad mood and mentioned something about Invictus was missing from her stash. Will had smiled a bit inwardly at that, thinking _That's what you get for acquiring things that aren't yours._  
  
“There she goes again,” Dove had said with a roll of her eyes, “Off on another tangent about how important the magical sword _Invictus_ is to her _grand plan_!”  
  
Will turned to her as Dove got up to leave the room. “Grand plan?”  
  
“Oh just some little game the gods like to play.” she answered. “Lisez thinks she's in the chinese checkers match, but really she's just a useless pawn in chess.” And left the room with that.  
  
Will looked back to Crow, who was now doing some sort of morning routine of stretching his arms and legs in the kitchen.  
  
“Why don't you go get dressed? I think Isaac left your clothes on my bed.” he had said with no real tone. “Once you get your shoes on, I'll take you home.”  
  
Will stared at him a bit baffled. But, no matter what he had been thinking to say, he didn't say it then. He just got up and got dressed and returned to the kitchen afterwards. By that time, Crow had somehow changed into a pair of slacks, a button down shirt, and a lordly-looking navy tailcoat. He had his hair gelled back in a smooth, business-man look. He was adjusting a cravat around his neck when Will came in.  
  
He gave a nod to Will, “Ready?”  
  
And off they went to the storefront. Dove was in the store talking to some glowing blue mist. “Will-O-Wisp,” Crow had said without a question being answered.  
  
Crow opened the front door, letting Will go first. Will inhaled, and stepped across the threshold. He was back in that dark dank alleyway. Crow came out and closed the door behind them, and headed toward the street. Will followed. He had been surprised to actually see people walking around, buying pastries and goods.  
  
When he looked over his shoulder on his way to following Crow back toward the Bel'vaz estate, he had noticed the glow of the lamppost was gone. The door was gone.  
  
At the entrance to the estate's grounds, Crow gave Will a mocking bow. “And, so I return the Marquis Will Bel--”  
  
“Shove it.” Will cut in sharply.  
  
Crow stood up, chuckling. “You really don't like your title, huh?”  
  
“It's just-Will.”  
  
“Well,” Crow put his hands up in finger quotes, “Just-Will~ Here you are, safe and sound, back home.”  
  
Will left a stare on Crow for a moment, thinking about a glare. But he turned his attention to the long walkway ahead of him.  
  
“Nervous?”  
  
“No.” He had answered flatly.  
  
Crow shrugged. “Oh yeah. So, uh, I'm sorry for kidnapping you.”  
  
That had made Will turn and glare at him. “Seriously? That is all you have to say to me?”  
  
Crow shrugged over-dramatically, arms out. “Hey, it is what it is. Er, was.” He smiled a bit at him. “Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to chat later.” And he waved up his hand as he turned and walked away, “So long, rose.”  
  
Will stood there for a moment, watching as Crow walked away, headed in the direction of the palace.  
  
“Rose?”  
  
But soon, Will was at the front door. Wondering what awaited, he opened the door and came in. The butler, Wiggins, a old gentleman had smiled at him. “Welcome back, young sir.” he had said in a grandfatherly tone.  
  
“Will!” suddenly Mia's voice broke through a deafening echo. She strode across the foyer angrily, lifted her hand and slapped Will. “How dare you leave like that! Where were you?” Will straightened up, settling a plain look at Mia's face. “Because of you disappearing Alexander has refused to do anything with his lessons!”  
  
Will bowed his head some, moving to open his mouth. Mia cut in again with a smug laugh. “Oh, and you know that ratty piece of driftwood that was up in Alexander's room?” Will straightened up immediately, his eyes fixating on Mia's, a sense of dread coming over him. “It had some kind of disgusting black bugs crawling out of it, so...” She paused, smirking at him, “Do you know what I did?”  
  
Will's eyes tingled and widened just ever so slightly. It was enough for Mia's smug look to become even more devious.  
  
“I burned it.”  
  
A furious bolt of anger shot through Will as if he were struck by lightning.  
  
“You don't have a problem with that, do you?” Mia asked, still smiling.  
  
Will used every ounce of control he had to maintain his poker face as he gave a slight generous forgiving smile. “No, of course not. All for the better of Alexander's health, right?”  
  
“Right.” Mia smiled.  
  
Will bowed his head, his arm crossed over his chest to allow more politeness in his gesture. “My apologies, Lady, because you're too beautiful I was late.”  
  
Mia's smile altered some, but remained. “I'll happily take that compliment. Oh and speaking of Alexander, could you go up and see him?”  
  
“Of course, Lady.” Will gave a bow to her and started past her.  
  
“Oh, Will.” Will stopped a few feet away, turning to look at her. “Could you bring a cup of tea to the study first?”  
  
“Certainly.” And Will changed his direction, heading for the kitchen.  
  
Once inside the kitchen, Will began to mess with gathering the teacup and saucer onto a silver tray. After he filled the tea kettle and had started the burner, Will leaned against the counter taking deep breaths to calm himself.  
  
 _That.... that... B-b... Why would she even? She had no right to just--- Alexander loved that..._  
  
With every thought the tighter Will's jaw clenched.  
  
“Will?” came a sweet concerned voice. Will snapped out of his anger, looking over to see Irene come into the kitchen from the back door. “Oh, my god! Where were you? Are you all right?”  
  
“Yeah.” Will nodded a bit, giving a very good fake genuine smile.  
  
Irene frowned, “Are you sure? What happened?”  
  
“I just needed a change in atmosphere was all.” Will smiled to her. “But I'm fine now.”  
  
Irene looked into Will's eyes concerned. “You may say that, but … You're looking so fine that it's making me worried.”  
  
Will shifted, straightening up. He smiled at Irene, leaning his face close to hers. “Can't I be happy every once and a while?”  
  
“What happened to you?” Irene asked, stepping back. Her voice was soft and hurt. “You've got a bitter look in your eye.”  
  
Will straightened up, looking down at Irene with a blank face. _A bitch just burned my mother's most precious memento she left me so I'm a little bit pissed._ “You're imagining weird things.” Will answered bluntly. He turned around, and poured the just-started-to-boil water into a teapot and adjusted the tray, leaving the room.


	23. Phase 23

Will had delivered the tea to Mia in the study. She had sipped it and complained it was too cold.

 

“Ask someone else,” Will had answered matter-of-factly. “I'm going to see Alexander.”

 

And Will left out of the study, just in time for Mia to throw the teacup at the door.

 

He walked around, heading up the stairs. He ignored all the usual protocols for him to use the servant's passages. He spotted the servants cleaning and doing their chores, but just ignored them. _I shouldn't be here anyway. A cast-out shouldn't be here._

 

Will knocked on the door to Alexander's bedroom and let himself in. He walked around the bed and saw Alexander sitting on the floor looking out of the window. With a sigh, Will yanked the blankets off the bed and came over and threw them over the boy.

 

“Aaa!” Alexander yelped, throwing the blankets around, so his head was free. “I won't do anything until Will comes back! No, no no!~”

 

Will chuckled, grabbing Alexander and the blankets up in a hug and lifted him up. “Hey, there.”

 

Alexander stopped squirming and with saucer eyes stared at Will a moment. Then he yipped with glee and hugged Will around his neck. “I missed you!”

 

“I missed you, too!” Will hugged him back. “Now,” He pulled away so he could look properly at Alexander. “I have a few things I have to take care of, but I'll be back soon.”

 

“Awww~” Alexander whined. “You're going away?”

 

“Yes,” Will nodded, hugging him tighter. “I'll come back.” He smiled at him, bumping their foreheads together. “While I'm gone will you do your studies and stuff?”

 

“No!” Alexander pouted.

 

Will laughed, “Aw.” He turned, still holding the boy and walked over to a bookshelf. He shifted his hold so he could have a free hand and picked out a book. “I'll give you this very special book to read. But you have to do your studies, all right?”

 

“Read it to me before you go?”

 

“Sure.” Will carried Alexander back towards the window and set him down. Once they were both sitting, with Alexander in Will's lap with the blanket around them, he opened the book and began to read. “Once upon a time, there was a tiny kingdom with mountains on one side and the sea on the other--”

 

“That's just like us!”

 

“Yes,” Will smiled to him. “The kingdom was very sad. Their king had just died. So, all the nobleman gathered together and had a meeting of who could be the next king. They met for days and days, arguing all the time. But finally, their meeting was interrupted by a young blond farmer and his best friend with fiery red hair.”

 

“Daddy!” Alexander chimed happily.

 

“The two persuaded the nobles that the blond would be the perfect king.” Will continued, “And to prove it, they performed a magic trick. They said they had learned it from gods.” Will petted Alexander's blond hair. “Do you know what they did?”

 

“Uh-huh~!” Alexander laughed. “They filled two chalices with water, held up a sword to the sky and said a magical phrase with a lyre playing.”

 

“That's right,” Will patted Alexander's head. “And out of the red head's body shot a tiny shimmering pearl. He was greatly injured by the feat, but it was so awe-inspiring that on that very spot the blond was proclaimed King Rhys.”

 

Alexander looked up to Will upside down. “What happened to the pearl?”

 

“Well,” Will shrugged. “It says that once the magic trick was over, the four items were separated and the pearl vanished to a new host for safe keeping.”

 

“How come?”

 

“The pearl could grant freedom,” Will answered, smiling to him. “With just the appearance of it, Rhys was crowned King and your dad was made the Grand Duke. They were worried someone would use the pearl to destroy our tiny kingdom. So they hid it.”

 

“Aw, I'd like to see it.” Alexander sighed. “Do you think Ree-Ree knows where it is?”

 

“For sure,” Will nodded, “But it needs to stay wherever it is. It needs to be safe. Just like you~” And he hugged Alexander tightly. “All right, I gotta go. I'll be back soon, okay?”

 

“Awww all right.” Alexander sniffled. “I don't want you to go.”

 

Will frowned, and patted Alexander's head as the little boy began to cry and sob. “I promise you, no matter where I go or how far, I will come back. Kay?”

 

Alexander sniffled and nodded, answering weakly “Okay.”

 

Will kissed Alexander's brow and left the room quietly. As he went back down the stairs, Mia came around the corner and cursed at him. “Where do you think you're going? You owe me a new cup of tea!”

 

Will didn't stop as he walked past her and opened the door.

 

“Will!”

 

Will turned on a dime and shouted at her. “WHY, in the _world_ , would I want to stay somewhere that has a crazy slimy old witch trying to kill me?” Startled, Mia had no response. While she was still in shock, Will finished, “Have a good day fucking my father, Mia.”

 

~*~

 

Crow walked down the street toward the palace. He walked up to a fully armored guard near the entrance to the grounds and nodded his head to him. “Hey, how's Kingy?” he asked with a grin.

 

The guard glared at him, “No admittance to the general public.”

 

Crow nodded a bit, rubbing his hand to his chin. “Oh, yes, I see what you mean. But,” his golden eyes flickered up to the guard and the smile on his face turned sly. “But what would he do without his daily chocolate dipped strawberries?”

 

The guard didn't budge.

 

“Perhaps he needs a change of pace and requires a kiwi.”

 

At that, the guard bowed his head. “Forgive me, young Lord. I will arrange a meeting with His Royal Majesty immediately.” And the guard hurried off toward a few more guards that were farther up the path.

 

“ _How did you know what to say?”_ Came the voice inside Crow's head.

 

Crow snickered a bit, “Being the son of an Earl has it's perks.”

 

One of the guards ran into the palace, and the original guard returned to his station next to Crow.

 

Crow stood with his arms crossed, tapping his feet as he waited for the okay. He vaguely remembered waiting for audiences with people as not being his favorite thing in the world. Especially when the person he was waiting for was the King himself.

 

After nearly ten minutes, a man in a purple tuxedo with a curled mustache came out to greet Crow. He nodded with a bow, “Lord?” Crow nodded to him. “His Majesty will receive you in the south drawing room. Come this way.” And he turned and started walking off toward the palace.

 

Crow grumbled to himself. _I forgot how over-the-top these people can be._

 

The man escorted Crow inside the palace, through the wide halls to a heavy oak door that was carved with some sort of plant motif. He knocked twice on the door and then opened it, standing aside so Crow could walk in. Crow nodded as politely as he could to the stuck-up man as he walked in. The room was pretty small, and just looked like an office with a desk, piles of papers and books around, with two comfy chairs for people to sit by the desk.

 

Behind the desk sat a blond with short hair, curled slightly and bright blue eyes, almost as vibrant as Will's. On his brow sat a thin golden chain with a red ruby hanging in the center of his eyebrows. He looked like he was around Crow's age, but it was obvious that since he was the king, he was probably double the age. Crow instantly gave a bow to him.

 

“Heeeeey~ Come in, come in. Please sit~!” The king said in an excited manner. Then he frowned at the man in the tuxedo and waved his arm at him, “What are you doing? Get out and get me a cup of tea! Now! Go!”

 

The man gave a quick bow and hurried out, shutting the door after him. “Y-yes, sire!”

 

The king returned to his seat and smiled, gesturing to the chair. Crow smiled a bit, and sat across from him in the chair. The king smiled back, shifting back in his chair, adjusting a sash hanging over his shoulders. “So!” He said after a moment. “I haven't seen _you_ in a long time.” His face grew a smile at Crow, who offered a weak smile. “If you're trying to play me again, it won't work. Your daddy is only a quick call away.” Crow glared at him, sulking into the chair. “You know, he is looking for you.”

 

Crow shifted up and scoffed. “Yeah, I'll bet he is.”

 

Silence returned to the room, as the king sat there smiling at him.

 

After a few moments, the man in the tuxedo appeared with a tray of teacups and a teapot. He quietly poured the tea for the two of them, served the sugar and milk to the King and then left the room again.

 

Once the door was again closed, the king picked up the tea and took a sip. “I'm sure you're here for a reason.”

 

“Yes,” Crow nodded, starting to drink his own tea. “I got my hands on _Invictus_.”

 

“Oh?” the king glanced up, seeming not too interested. “And why does this matter?”

 

Crow put down the cup. “I'm trapped by a god.”

 

His blue eyes looked up to Crow's glittering gold eyes. “So I see.” He paused, “What do you plan to do about it? Come home?”

 

“I'm going to kill him.”

 

“With _Invictus_ , no doubt.” He smiled.

 

“No.” Crow shook his head. “ _Invictus_ is just the key to the lock. I need that chalice you have.”

 

The king let out a laugh. “My golden ruby chalice? Seriously?” He smiled a bit, snickering at the serious look on Crow's face. He put down the tea cup and leaned across the desk toward Crow. “I'm pretty sure I know what you're looking for now. But, what makes you think it'll kill him? _That_ only grants life.”

 

“I want my freedom.” Crow answered. “I've spent too much of my life being bossed around and forced to do crap against my will.” He stood up, “There is no way I'm not going to fight for my freedom back.”

 

The king sat back, snickering again. He eyed Crow up and down. “So, after you ran away you got a taste of true freedom out in the wilds, and then lost it to a god.” Crow didn't answer, but his golden eyes told the whole story.

 

“Please.” Crow sighed, returning to sit. “I'm begging you, Rhys. I need that chalice.”

 

“You know you'll need both, and the sword, and the lyre.” The king cut in. Crow nodded. The king tilted his head to the side, looking down to his teacup. “Seems like a big gamble, that I don't really want to take.”

 

Crow stood up suddenly, “Why!”

 

“Because!” Rhys stood up shouting suddenly. “You abandoned your station as a knight, ran away from home, and haven't been seen in five years. Now you waltz in here and expect me to give you the chalice?”

 

Crow grit his teeth, turning to walk away. “If you don't give it to me, I will steal it.”

 

“Ha,” Rhys laughed, sounding cheerful once again. “Maybe you should talk to your father first, little boy.”

 

Crow glared back at him. He turned and gave him a bow. “Thank you for your time, your Majesty. I can see that you won't give me what I want. So, good day.” And he turned and walked out of the room and back down the hall.

 

He was just about to get to the front palace doors to leave when he heard a stern voice behind him that made him freeze in his tracks.

 

“You should stop running away, boy.”

 

Crow took a glance over his shoulder and saw the tall knight, dressed in full armored uniform. His face was old and worn, but still showed the same stoic stern attitude Crow could never forget.

 

Crow turned to him, and rubbed a blue wing cuff on the top of his ear, playing with the chain to the stud at the base of his lobe. He gave a bow, with a glare in his golden eyes. “You have me mistaken with someone else, Earl James Corian.”

 

And as he straightened up, Crow could see that heavy glare settle on his figure. “I think I could recognize my own son.” He said, taking a few steps towards Crow.

 

Crow shook his head. “You're going blind, old man.” And he turned, sprinting out of the palace.

 

“Come back here!” the Earl shouted after him. “Don't run away from me, boy!”

 

Crow just sprinted as hard as he could past the guards and out of the palace's grounds. As he turned the corner he slammed right into Will, who yelped as he was knocked to the ground.

 

“Ouch!” Will whined, rubbing his chest.

 

“Oh, geeze, sorry!” Crow panted, taking Will's hand and pulled him up. Will hadn't been expecting that and stumbled into Crow's arms. Crow helped Will stand, looked him over quickly. “You okay? Yeah? Yeah.” And nodded and ran past him down the street.

 

Will stared after him, baffled. He turned suddenly as he heard a man shouting from around the corner. He backed up when saw a high-ranking knight stop running and panting as he looked around.

 

He spotted Will, and panted a few times before asking him his question. “Did you see a young man with gold eyes just now?”

 

Will shook his head, “Uh... No, sir.”

 

“Damn,” the man turned, walking back to the guards. “Alert the infantry. Lord Corian's within the city. If anyone sees him, they are to arrest him on sight.”

 

“Yes, sir!” The guard nodded and ran off toward what Will recalled as the knight's academy.

 


	24. Phase 24

“Belay that.” came a voice from the palace walkway.

 

Will, the guards and the man turned to look as the king came walking towards them. His blond curls tousled slightly as he walked, a sparkle glinting in his eyes. The guards gave deep bows, and the man gave a shorter one. Will gave a slight bow, but remained looking down as the man straightened back up.

 

“Forgive me, Your Highness,” the man started, opening his arms in a wide gesture, “But, why reject the order?”

 

The king stopped in front of him, standing shorter then the man with the darker hair. His smile vanished as he crossed his arms and gave him a testing look. “Bringing him in against his will will do nothing but serve to concrete his resolve at running away from you.” He said, almost in a gentle manner. Rhys gave the man a gentle look. “Instead of sending out your troops to look for him, why not seek him out yourself- not as a Colonel, or a Lord, but as a man?”

 

Will looked up in time to see the man glare at the king, “Because this is how he's always been- a reckless wild uncontrollable boy who needs to be showed the right path with a firm hand!”

 

“And forcing these ideals on him have worked in the past, have they?” the king asked, a hand to his chin.

 

“Yes!”

 

“Then why does he run away from you?”

 

The man stopped, his anger vanishing. Will watched as disappointment appeared on the man's face, and he hung his head. The king patted his shoulder. “Just give him time. At least he came and spoke to me. We haven't had that in years.”

 

The man looked up, looking over the king's face. He asked in a hushed tone, “Is he in trouble?”

 

“Can't say.” Rhys said with a shrug and grinned. “But nevermind that! You go back to your duties and ignore him for the time being.”

 

“But-”

 

Rhys gave him a stern look and the man nodded, and walked off. Then Rhys turned his head to Will, his face lit up and he opened his arms widely. “Will! Come over and give me a hug!” But as he said this, and Will straightened up, Rhys was already over there hugging Will firmly around the neck. He let go and patted Will's shoulders and guided him with an arm around his shoulders toward the palace. “Let's go have a good chat! It's not every day my god-son comes to see me!”

 

Soon they were in the throne room, empty of other people and Will was sitting in the throne while Rhys was sitting on it's armrest to the left.

 

“So, let's start from the top,” Rhys started calmly. “How's the whole mother-gone thing?”

 

Will gave a shrug, with no expression on his face. “I miss her. But.... It doesn't hurt much anymore.”

 

“And your...dad?” Rhys asked slowly, turning to see Will's face. Will looked to the ground, any luster and sheen from his eyes that could've shown happiness was gone. “That bad?” Will looked away from him. Rhys sighed. “You know, you looked pretty... emotionless at the party when I caught a glimpse of you. Everything okay?”

 

Will shrugged a bit, “I... I can't take it anymore.” He paused, looking to his hands. “It hurts too much to be around him. He's rude, and sour, and conceited! He was never like this before.” Will's voice was soft, with a gravelly tone to it as he spoke slowly. He glanced up to Rhys and then back to his lap when their eyes met. “He hit me again, at the party.”

 

Rhys sighed, “What'd you do?”

 

“I just gave him some nice pastries.” Will shrugged. “They were his favorite flavors, too.”

 

“I didn't really see you. Did you leave after that?”

 

“Yeah.” Will nodded. “I tucked Alexander in and then when I came down, I uh... was kidnapped.”

 

Rhys grabbed Will's shoulder and jerked him back, “What?! Kidnapped?! By who? I'll put that bastard behind bars and smack him with a---”

 

“No!” Will said in a panic, waving his arms and grabbing Rhys wrist. “No...” He said softer when Rhys looked at him in surprise. “I... wasn't hurt.” He paused, “I think.”

 

“You think!?” Rhys shouted. “Who was it!”

 

“I don't know!” Will shouted back. “Some guy my age with gold eyes and dark navy hair!”

 

Rhys blinked, thinking over the appearance of the young man he had just been talking with before.

 

“His name's Crow.”

 

“Crow?” Rhys raised a brow, sure that wasn't the young man's name. But he didn't want to correct Will. “So... What happened? Where did he take you? Did he hurt you?”

 

Will shrugged, looking down to the ground. “He uh... He took me to some...dark place. With clouds and fog, and buildings that disappeared. And, there were these strange lights on the streets. He said it was the Threshold, between two worlds- life and death.”

 

Rhys shifted a bit, getting a serious and yet comforting look on his face. “Tell me everything.” He said gently and reassuringly to Will.

 

Will looked up to him and nodded. Slowly, Will told his godfather about the gods, the strange reeking smell of lavender, the elf, the two other boys, the clock, and finished with telling Rhys about the Blessing that Matéas had put on him.

 

There was silence as Will finished, and Rhys wasn't too sure what to say, though he felt sure Will was telling the truth.

 

“Do you...” Will swallowed his question and reformed it. “Did I go crazy?”

 

Rhys laughed a bit, and patted Will's hair. He pushed the bangs from Will's face so he could clearly see his eyes and forehead. “No.” He said with a smile and a light laugh. “No, dear Will. You didn't.” He bumped his forehead to Will's. “The question is now, what are you going to do?”

 

Will's eyes widened a bit. He hadn't thought of that- or rather, he had been too afraid to even plan anything out. “I.... I don't know. I can't go home.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I … kind of told Mia to fuck off.”

 

Rhys laughed, hard and loud, suddenly letting Will go. “You did?” He asked with a childlike grin, and when Will nodded, he laughed harder. “Oh man! I've been wanting to tell her to fuck off for like- years! And you do it on the fly!” He laughed again, “You're my hero, Will!”

 

Will blinked a bit confused, but smiled a bit at him.

 

Rhys gained his breath back, “Well. You can stay here? Or at the estate? The horse barn-- it's warm. Or uh, you could go out into the country to the little farm I came from? What do you wanna do?”

 

Will looked down. “I don't know.” He shrugged. “What am I supposed to do?”

 

Rhys tilted his head, watching as Will's face showed nothing but fear, sadness and confusion.

 

“I... All my life, I was raised to be a Grand Duke, and like lightning, it was taken away.” He spoke softly, and fully with his heart. Will's words echoed quietly in the throne room off the polished surfaces. “I've been left with nothing. Any direction I had in life... it evaporated.” He looked to Rhys. “What do you do when you're this lost?”

 

Rhys shrugged. “You know, your dad and I were pretty lost. That's when we just left home and started walking. We ran into some gods, ran into some political stiffs and after a bit, I was king. It was pretty weird. It happened when I was much younger that you. They couldn't even officially name me as king until after a few years, when I reached a proper age.”

 

Will looked to the ground and sighed.

 

“Hey. Will.” Will looked toward him. “Do you know who named you?”

 

“My mom.”

 

“Right.” Rhys nodded. “And what did she name you?”

 

“Will.”

 

“Right. Just Will.” Rhys stood up and gestured with his arms. “But why didn't she name you William, or Willard...? Why did she name you Will?” He shrugged. “Cause it's not a name.” He looked up to Rhys. “Is it?” Rhys smiled to Will's confused face. “With a will, you can do anything you can dream of in your heart.”

 

Will looked down to the ground.

 

“So. Just Will,” Rhys sat next to him again. “Do you have a will- to live or do anything?”

 

“But what will I do?” Will asked. “I was so busy growing up that I never had time for hobbies. I just had studies and practices and, nothing else. It was fun and cool learning all that- my mom taught it all. I never not wanted to listen to her.” He sulked his back and hung his head really low to his knees. “But now when I need her most, she's just not here.”

 

Rhys sighed, leaning against the back of the throne. “Look, I can't tell you what to do, or what she'd tell you. But, shutting down all your emotions like you have isn't right.” Will didn't move, or answer. Rhys shifted a bit and smiled, “Wanna talk about it?”

 

“About what?” Will asked, not moving.

 

“Your crush.”

 

Will shot up like a bullet, whipped around with his cheeks pink and a surprised face. “Wh-wh-what the heck makes you think I've got a crush?!”

 

Rhys grinned. “That reaction.” Will's face burned red with embarrassment. “Are they cute and handsome?”

 

Will grew poisoned look on his blushing face, his lips turning downward. “I--- I don't know. I don't wanna talk about it.”

 

Rhys chuckled. “So you really like them!” Will covered his ears and shut his eyes tight. “Have you said anything to 'em yet?”

 

“Y-yeah... Well, no... Not really.”

 

“Did they ignore you?”

 

“No...”

 

“Pick on you?”

 

Will didn't answer. That was sort of right, but not really. Since it hadn't really been picking-on, or teasing, but just... “No. It was just... regular interaction. Nothing fancy.”

 

Rhys raised a brow, leaning back, “Hmmm. You sure they even like you?”

 

Will shook his head. “No one'd like a guy with rose pink hair.”

 

“Hey!” Rhys protested. “Why do you think that?”

 

“Well, no one's hit on me- my whole life.” Will answered, shrugging. “I may be the son of the Grand Duke, but that doesn't matter with pink hair- instead of a deep red like his.”

 

Rhys laughed, “That's just cause you were such a cute shy wallflower!” Will shrugged and stood up. “Aw, leaving~?”

 

Will nodded turning to him. “Thanks, Rhys.” A small tiny smile formed on the corner of his lips. “Talking to you... I was starting to think that everyone forgot who I was. I was forgetting myself. I wasn't able to really grasp at my memories before of my dad.”

 

Rhys smiled, “Well that's probably the Blessing Matéas gave you. He said it'd help your memories repair or something, right?”

 

Will shrugged, “Maybe.” He answered softly, then turned and started to walk out.

 

“Will!” Rhys called to him from the throne. Will didn't stop walking as Rhys shouted to him, “Lemme know if you need any help or anything!” Will waved a hand up to him but didn't turn, leaving the throne room and soon the palace.


	25. Phase 25

From a hiding spot Crow was sitting on some short narrow stairs with a heavy cloak he'd found in a store, he saw through the misting rain Will come down the street. The fancy trees and identical houses really made him stand out. Though his pink hair kind of had an air about it in the dingy gray blue colors.

 

Crow stood and waved to him, “Hey! Will!”

 

Will stopped and looked toward Crow ahead of him. Crow could see a drained, almost sad, expression on Will's face. It was kind of surprising to see such a striking and strong emotion on Will's face that Crow let out a gasp. He hurried down the steps and over to Will.

 

“Hey! You okay? I didn't hit you that hard, did I?” Crow asked, the hood over his head. Will shook his head a bit, and looked down away from the glistening golden eyes. They looked too cheery in the rain.

 

Crow frowned at him. “Where are you going? Your house isn't this way.”

 

“I'm not going home.” Will answered and pushed past him.

 

Crow turned and watched in silence as Will continued down the road. As he walked, he saw the rain getting heavier. Feeling uneasy about Will just walking around looking in a state of shocked loneliness and aimless, Crow started to follow him. As the rain got heavier, the sky darkened more with thicker clouds. Night was coming and that was bringing a wind, more rain and a storm. Aimlessly Will had walked out of the housing area, toward the docks, up a grassy hill and wandered into the gated graveyard. Up here there was more wind and rain, and by now Will was soaked. Crow followed Will into the graveyard and watched as the boy stopped in front of a good medium sized gravestone that was beautifully carved. He went onto his hands and knees, shifted and laid next to the stone, with his forehead resting against it.

 

Crow walked over to him, looking over the stone. He only needed to glance at the name to realize it was Will's mother's grave that he had wandered to. Crow sighed, looking at Will, who was curling into a ball.

 

“Hey,” He said softly, leaning over Will, resting a hand on Will's wet shoulder. “You wanna say some nice words and then come inside with me?”

 

Will peeked open his eyes, looking to Crow. Then he closed his eyes again.

 

“I'm not going to leave you in this rain.” Crow answered, stubbornly.

 

“Might as well.” Will answered, just as stubbornly.

 

“Oh yeah? Why?”

 

“Cause there's no point in going anywhere else.”

 

Crow looked away, up to the clouds and then back to Will. He pursed his lips and moved his jaw around some, thinking over what to do.

 

He heard a rumble of thunder.

 

Crow's head snapped up, looking around at the clouds as the wind picked up. He looked back to Will, who hadn't moved at all.

 

At the next rumble of thunder, Crow jerked his body forward, grabbed Will like a sack of potatoes with an arm under his legs and one around his shoulders and yanked him up into his arms. It took a few seconds of fussing and positioning before Crow had Will up in a bridal carry and was walking briskly with him out of the graveyard back toward town.

 

Will jerked and shook around, “Put me down now, Crow! Stop it! You're just gonna kidnap me again?”

 

Crow glared at Will, and shifted his grip, holding Will tighter. “I almost lost you once cause I was reckless. I'm not going to let it happen again.”

 

“What?” Will asked, and started squirming.

 

“Don't move around so much!” Crow shouted to him. “I'll drop you!”

 

Will froze in his arms, and though tense, let Crow continue to carry him.

 

Every now and then Crow had to stop and shift the weight some, but he never put Will down. He continued to carry him all the way through the pouring rain and wind at as his back through the city. Once they were both soaked, Crow came to the stairs he had been sitting on before. He stopped in front of them and called to the area, “Open!”

 

A door just left of the stairs appeared instantly. There was no magic moving bricks or vines or dust fading. Just, boom. A door was there. It swung open for him, and with a very surprised Will in his arms, Crow walked through the door, which slammed shut after him.

 

Inside, he carried Will over to the bed. It was very quaint inside this mysterious door. The room was a very small eight-by-nine room. There was a queen sized bed that had a few pillows, comforters and blankets on it making it look extremely comfortable. There was a door open to a closet that had some coats hanging in it. Next to it was a small fireplace with a tea kettle hanging on an iron hook next to it, while there was a comfortable rug in front of the fireplace. In the only open corner of the room left was a tiny small sink with a small table stacked with just a dish, bowl, cup and a set of silverware and a can opener in the pile.

 

“What... is this place?” Will asked, looking at Crow.

 

Crow closed the curtains around the room and made sure the door was locked before answering. “It's my secret hideout. No one can find me here.”

 

“Are we... back on the Threshold?”

 

“No, and yes.” Crow said as he pulled off the cloak and dropped it in the sink. “It's a real space in our world, where we just were. But the door's been sealed with magic I learned. No one from any world but me can enter it.” He chuckled, “Not even a god with a Bind over me can get me here.” He continued to undress, taking off his shoes and socks next, putting them by the sink. And then his shirt. “You too.”

 

“Huh?” Will gaped.

 

“Undress. Now.”

 

Will startled, nodded.

 

Like clockwork, he took off his shoes and socks first. Crow put them next to his. Then his shirt, and Crow put it with his in the sink. Then he stared as Crow pulled off his pants, so Will took off his own. And they joined their shirts. Crow pulled Will to sit on the rug in front of the fireplace as he got a fire going and had left a blanket wrapped around the boy. It wasn't until the fire was going that Will had realized there had been no light bulb or anything on in the room.

 

It was silent in the room, but they could hear the pounding of the pouring rain, the wind blowing and every now and then a clap of low quiet thunder rumbled. Will sat cuddled up in the blanket staring at Crow's back. It had a bit of moisture on it, but that might've just been the lightning. Once the fire was going well, Crow grabbed another large blanket and sat next to Will on the rug. Not too close, but next to.

 

Crow spoke first. “What were you doing by the palace?”

 

“Going to talk to King Rhys.”

 

Crow nodded. “He's your godfather, right?” Will nodded, not saying anything. “I went to talk to him, too.” Will looked to him. Crow shrugged, “I wanted to get his chalice from him.” He looked to Will and smiled. “I'm going to get my freedom back if I do it right.”

 

“Do... what right?”

 

He smiled. “Get that item that Rhys used to become king-- that 'trick' one.” He explained, “I need the two chalices, the sword stolen from Matéas and a lyre. I already got the sword, and I know where the first chalice is. Isaac's looking for the second one with Akiio. I just don't know how to get your mom's lyre....”

 

“What?”

 

“Your mom's lyre.” Crow answered, looking to him. “It's the one I need. Do you know where it is?”

 

Will shook his head. “Not anymore. Mia burned it to ashes.”

 

Crow's face paled. “To... ashes?” He looked to the fire. “That... can't be. It's... It's a magical item. They shouldn't be able to be destroyed.”

 

“She did.” Will replied.

 

Crow grit his teeth. “Dammit!”

 

Will looked to him, “Crow?” Crow just stared at the fire in frustration. He flinched a bit at the sound of thunder that rumbled. “What are you trying to get?”

 

“My freedom.” Crow answered after a moment. “That god--- He... He took my eyes, my name, my identity. I know who I was, but I can't place it exactly. I know who's son I am, and why I ran away. But I can't remember my name. I haven't tried to remember in a while, and now that I'm looking for it, it isn't there to be remembered.” He turned and looked at Will, “I can remember some things clearly.” A small smile came on his face, his golden eyes glinting in the fire. “I can remember the pink shade of your hair, the tone of your skin and lips, and...” He looked at Will's eyes, the fire dancing in their blue vibrancy. “I can recall the blue of your eyes.” Then his smile faded and he looked down to his own hand. “But I can't really remember my skin's tones, or what color my veins are in places. I can guess, but I'm not sure.”

 

Will watched Crow looking more and more depressed as he spoke. A clap of thunder came rumbling through. It was surprisingly loud and made both boys jump. It continued to rumble for nearly ten seconds, burning its echo into their ears. Crow shook covering his ears and pulled the blanket over him.

 

Will shifted to touch him. “No! Don't touch me!”

 

Will frowned in anger. “Don't tell me what to do.”

 

“Then don't touch me!”

 

Will looked to the closet and then back to Crow's huddled up figure. “No, I will touch you, Crow.”

 

“You will not!”

 

Arguing and shouting the whole time, Will stood up and grabbed the blankets from Crow and tossed them on the closet floor. Then he grabbed Crow along with the blanket he was clinging to from the bed and yanked him into the closet with him. After a few moments, Will was laying on his back with Crow laying on top of him and the blanket draped over them with the closet door closed. In the cold wet darkness Will was forcing Crow to put his head down. Crow was fighting back fiercely, almost wrestling with him.

 

But when another loud clap of thunder sounded and the wind picked up, Crow jerked down resting his body so quickly and heavily onto Will with a hug that he knocked the wind out of the boy. Will adjusted the blanket as the thunder echoed in it's rumble and wrapped his arms around Crow's shoulders, with one hand rested in the navy hair.

 

Crow shifted to get up, but realized he was being enveloped into a warm embrace with his ear against Will's chest, listening to his heart.

 

“I... can hear your heart.” Crow said softly. As he said that, he felt a nervous breath go into Will's lungs as they lifted and widened some, and the pace of the heart beats quickened. “It just got faster,” Crow chuckled.

 

Will closed his eyes, taking in another nervous breath. “Don't listen!”

 

“No.” Crow answered with a stubborn tone and closed his eyes, resting his full weight onto Will. “I'm going to listen to it.” He heard Will let out a soft protesting noise, but the other didn't move to push Crow away.

 

They laid in the silence for a bit, and at the next thunder clap, Crow shifted and wrapped his arms up under Will's so his hands were on the edge of his shoulders on the side of his body.

 

As the next round of silence came, Crow whispered into the darkness, “I thought I was going to protect you.”

 

Will answered softly, “Let me do this. I'm not helpless.”

 

“Never said you were.”

 

Will shifted his head to the side, “You think I can't do anything for myself, don't you?”

 

“A bit. You are a noble's son.” Crow chuckled.

 

“Maybe you're right. Maybe I can do nothing at all.”

 

Crow shook his head against Will's chest. “You can't do nothing. Instead, do everything.”

 

“I can't do that either.”

 

“Then do what you want to.”

 

“But, I don't know what I want...”

 

Crow shifted a bit, laying more of his weight on Will. “I know what I want.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Will sighed, his chest lowering and then Crow felt him take a gentle breath. “Maybe... I want my dad to remember me. But....”

 

When Will didn't continue after a few seconds Crow asked, “But.... What?”

 

“But if he remembers, he'll be sad.” Will answered softly. “And, right now, he's happy. If I stay near him, he'll be mad at me, and … maybe remember. And then he'll just be sad. And I... don't want that.”

 

Crow felt a pain hit his heart. He knew why Will's father, Adell, had forgotten everything about Will and his mother. But, even in this safe place, he couldn't tell Will. And, if he did, wouldn't that just make Will fill up with more sadness?

 

“That's all what you don't want, but what do you want?”

 

Will sighed audibly. “I just... I don't know.” His voice was gravelly, soft and sounded heart broken. He didn't need to say anything more. Crow could empathize with that feeling of lost and abandonment.

 

“Don't worry. I'll protect you.” Crow whispered after a minute. He shifted his head up and over a bit, and kissed the skin he had been laying on. He heard a soft surprised gasp of air go into Will and felt the chest rise. Again, Crow kissed the skin, moving over a bit. He kissed a short trail to where Will's heart was, feeling the beats vibrate up to his lips. He kissed and kissed again and again.

 

“Stop that.” Will said softly through the darkness.

 

“Not yet.” Crow replied, licked the skin above his heart and kissed it again. Then he began to suck. Will let out a soft gasp when Crow gently pushed his teeth against the skin, but didn't bite at all for there was no force in his movements. Crow just continued to lick, kiss and suck, leaving little marks all over Will's heart. As he did this, Crow felt the heart pound harder and harder.

 

Finally when Crow was content he laid his head back down, and refused to move even when Will shifted to get out from underneath him. They laid like that all night. Every now and then Crow would hug and cling onto Will when the thunder sounded, the rain poured harder or the wind battered against the walls and windows. As Will fell to sleep he wondered what could've made Crow so afraid of thunder and storms. Crow seemed like a fearless and brave man.


	26. Phase 26

Crow woke up first in the morning. He shifted carefully out from Will's embrace, opening the closet door and peeked out into the room. The fire was just smoldering now, but the room was warm. He shifted out, and retucked Will in with the blanket. After he got the fire going again, Crow rung out their clothes and propped them next to the fireplace to see if they'd dry out anymore.

 

From under his bed he pulled out a thin plastic box. Opening it, inside he saw lots of regular clothes. Jeans, t-shirts, dress shirts, socks, scarves and even some pajamas. It took him a few minutes to figure out what to grab out, since he was only seeing shades of gray. He pulled out two tanks that looked white, two different t-shirts and some jeans. Then he looked for some belts, pretty sure that his pants wouldn't fit Will properly. After piling the clothes onto the bed and sorting them out, complete with socks, Crow closed the bin and shoved it back under his bed.

 

After he pulled on some jeans, socks, the tank and his t-shirt, he went to the sink and turned on the water. Washing his face with the lukewarm water, he sighed. “There's just no way that lyre was burned...” He looked over his shoulder at Will sleeping in the closet quietly. His eyes moved down the floor and to their wet clothes, resting to watch the fire. Crow dried his face and sat in front of the fire, silent.

 

He let out a heavy sigh, pushing his hand through his tousled hair. “Should I... give up my freedom to help Will?” He shook his head, staring into the fire. “Help him do what?” he whispered at the fire. “He's got no clue what to do!” His anger diminished and he sighed again, hanging his head lower. After a few moments, Crow lifted his head up and stared into the fire.

 

“Crow?” came Will's sleepy voice from the closet. Crow looked over to him, seeing Will starting to sit up, still looking tired.

 

“Hey, good morning, sleeping beauty.” Crow smiled.

 

“Morning.” Will answered softly, rubbing his eyes before looking out at Crow.

 

Crow got up and brought him the pile of clothes he'd gathered for Will. “Here.” he handed the clothes to Will. “Did you sleep good? I hope I wasn't too heavy.”

 

Will looked through the clothes, pulling on the tank first before speaking. “Nah, you aren't.” Crow turned back to the fire as Will finished getting dressed. A slight smile was on his face when he spotted all the hickey marks on Will's chest where his heart was.

 

“You've got a lot of marks on you.” Crow said, poking the fire.

 

Will blinked, surprised. Then he lifted his shirts up and looked at all the hickeys on his chest. “Ah!” He yelped. “W-why'd you do... So many!”

 

Crow chuckled. “You just tasted really sweet.” Will frowned at him, throwing a wad of blankets at him. Crow yelped, turning to look back at Will. “Hey!” He smiled at Will's frowning blushing face, and shifted over to him. He gently ran his fingers through and straightened out Will's hair some. “Tasting sweet is good.” He snickered, “Means I'll wanna taste more of you.”

 

Will slapped off Crow's hands. Crow's smile vanished to look surprised. Then he shrugged and went back to the fire.

 

Will watched Crow as he shifted up and adjusted the jeans to get on the belt. He focused on Crow's hair. It was curled and wild, looking fluffy and thick. The bed-head look kind of suited him. Will thought about that a moment. _Why would it suit him? Have I... seen it before? It looks like..._

 

Will's jaw loosened as surprise and shock came to him, the realization that he recognized Crow's back and his hair and the shade and his posture. Everything. He knew it all.

 

“Have... we met?” Will asked softly, unsure of his question.

 

Crow stopped prodding at the fire, turning to look at Will. His golden eyes shimmered and glinted the fire's light as he moved. Just then, he didn't look so familiar suddenly. The golden eyes weren't right. They gave him this whole new fresh look that was foreign to Will's memories.

 

Will tilted his head a bit, confused. “I mean... You know a lot about me and my family.”

 

Crow shrugged, “It was in the news a lot.”

 

“Not that much.” Will replied, fastening the belt. “And you look familiar to me.”

 

“I do?” Crow raised a brow, crossing his arms. A smile grew on his face, “Are my eyes captivating you now?”

 

Will glared at him, looked away and waved his hand. “Definitely not!”

 

Crow shrugged again, looking to the window. “Looks like the weather's cleared up. I gotta get back to work.”

 

Will looked back to Crow. “What are you going to do?”

 

He shrugged, stretching his arms up. “Ah beats me.” Crow answered haphazardly. Then he started to pull on his shoes. “Gotta get the chalices and the lyre first. Then my freedom.”

 

“Is your god really that mean?”

 

Crow looked to Will annoyed. “How would you like it,” he walked toward Will, his voice low and angered. “If some god waltzed into your life and takes it all away? He leaves you with nothing but pain and darkness. I have a faint memory of what it was like to be free. To have no one telling me what to do.” He stopped in front of Will, his golden eyes casting a terrifying look over the other.

 

Will backed up a bit. “What... are you going to do?”

 

“I'll kill him if I have to.” Crow answered without a thought. “I want him to write my name in blood so that I can see it. So that it can be returned to me.” He turned away, the anger boiling over him. “It was mine and he just took it! I'm going to--”

 

“Lien.”

 

Crow stopped hearing the soft word echo. His anger evaporated.

 

“Lien...?”

 

The word moved like a gust of wind over Crow, blowing away fiercely all of his anger and pain. A happy feeling resounded from his heart, filling him up.

 

Slowly, Crow turned to look at Will before he could say the word a third time. “That's...”

 

Will's blue eyes showed curiosity in them and uncertainty. He shifted a bit, looking at Crow with a worried look. “You're him, right?” Crow stared at Will, unable to answer. “You're Lien?”

 

Crow forced himself back to reality. His surprise faded and he tensed his jaw to reaffirm it. Crow turned and picked up his cloak, wrapping it around him and pulled up the hood. “No. Maybe I just look like him to you.”

 

Will shook his head, walked over and grabbed Crow's wrist. “No.”

 

Crow lifted his arm to pull it away but saw the look on Will's face. “Last I knew, Lien was dead...” He sighed, looking down at Will's blue eyes. “If you keep looking like that, I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer.” Will blinked, looking confused. Crow smiled a bit, patting Will's cheek. “You should really learn to keep that first kiss of yours locked up in a box nice and safe.”

 

Will gaped, his cheeks turning pink and took a step back. “I don't want you to kiss me!”

 

Crow laughed, “Yeah, I know.” He smiled at Will's expression of annoyance. “But that's what makes it fun to steal.” Crow shifted, pulling off of his ear an earring he'd been wearing. A blue wing cuff at the top with a gold chain that attached to a round red stud at his lobe. He tossed it to Will. “Hold on to that.”

 

Will caught the earring, looking down at it. “Why?”

 

“When a magical item gets messed with, it changes shape.” Crow explained, “That there is Matéas's beloved sword _Invictus_.”

 

Will looked up to him, “Why do you want me to have it? Don't you need it?”

 

Crow shrugged, adjusting the cloak. “Not at the moment.” He flashed a cheesy smile at Will, “I'll come back to get it soon.” He turned and opened the door, leading out to the damp street outside.

 

“Hey!” Will shouted, running toward him. “Don't just leave!”

 

Crow turned back to Will, their noses touching briefly as he stood at the door's threshold. Briefly they both blushed, before they stepped back from the other.

 

“While I'm gone don't give anyone that first kiss of yours,” Crow said with a wink. “I call dibs.”

 

Before Will could make any kind of protest, Crow had turned and walked outside, closing the door. When Will opened the door not a moment later, Crow was gone. Will looked up and down the street in the cool morning, and saw no sign of Crow.

 

Baffled, Will closed the door, turned around and looked to the fire and the tiny room. He looked down at the earring in his hand and thought a moment.

 

“Magical items change shape when messed with?” he asked aloud, tilting his head. An idea came to him and in a hurry, Will had his shoes on, put the earring in his pocket and started to put out the fire.

 

“If I were a lyre what would I turn into when I'm being burned?” Will asked, trying to hurry at putting out the fire. “What can't burn? Metals can't...”

 

Will finally had the fire out and hurried outside, closing the door. In just that t-shirt and jeans, he sprinted his way back towards his home. Along the way he cursed in his mind, _Me? Save my first kiss for Crow? Pfft like I would. He's a guy. Still..._ Will stopped at the gate to the mansion, panting.

 

“If he's Lien,” Will said aloud through pants, then he started running up the pathway.

 

 _I guess then he could have it. But only when he's back to his old self. Well, he's still reckless and charges in head-first without thinking._ Will thought as he barged in the door, nodded to the butler and hurried up the stairs, slid on the floor as he turned down the hall and to his old bedroom. _He didn't have to share that trait with me._

 

Will checked around the room and found nothing interesting, or new. So he hurried out and started to check all the fireplaces, being careful to avoid Mia if she was around.


	27. Phase 27

While Will riffled through the last of the fireplaces down in Mia's study he heard a knock at the door. Will jumped up, covered in soot, and turned to look to the door. He smiled a bit when he saw Alexander there, his blond hair with pink tips combed in an uncomfortable way and was dressed in an itchy-looking dandy outfit.

 

Will laughed a bit, “Hey there, kiddo.” He knelt down, “Have you been doing your studies?”

 

Alexander nodded, “Mm-hmm.” He came over to Will, looking him over. “Whatcha lookin' for?”

 

“The lyre I would use to play to you.” Will answered, shrugging. “Mia said she burned it, so I've been looking in the fireplaces for it.”

 

“She didn't burn it.” Alexander answered. Will stared into the blue eyes. “She just put it up on a really high shelf.”

 

A few minutes later the two of them were standing in the grand ballroom staring at up at the largest wardrobe they had that housed an antique grandfather clock inside.

 

Will pointed up at the top, “You sure it's up there?”

 

Alexander nodded, “I saw her talking to the servants as they put it up there.”

 

“But they had a ladder.” Will answered.

 

“I'm sorry.” Alexander frowned.

 

Will patted Alexander's head, then turned to get a chair. Once the chair was by the wardrobe, Will climbed on top and tried to reach the top, but his hands were nowhere near it. “Crud...” Will cursed, looking around. He piled a few more chairs on top, stacking them and climbed up again, only being several inches higher. Still he was too short. Alexander ran and got some dictionaries that Will climbed on. With a few more books, Will was balancing precariously on his tip toes with one hand clinging to the top of the wardrobe and the other feeling around for the lyre.

 

He took a quick glance down at Alexander, and then looked back up. “Oh, man... Heights... Why's it heights?” He whispered under his breath so Alexander couldn't hear at all.

 

“What are you doing up there?!” Came a loud woman's shout, in a motherly tone.

 

Will surprised and startled, let go of the wardrobe with such a force that he pushed himself off. As he tried to regain his balance, the books shook too much and Will fell back first off the pile they had made and landed on the floor.

 

He blacked out hearing Mia's voice sounding worried about someone and blood.

 

_I hope I didn't fall on Alexander and hurt him. I'll never hear the end of it then. Please let the blood stop. Don't let him bleed. He's too young. Too... young... to bleed.... now...._

 

And Will's thoughts stopped.

 

As he was unconscious, Will felt a cold icy air around him. Slowly he opened his eyes, seeing white above him. Confused, he sat up and looked around. As he stood, Will took in his surroundings. He was in a mysterious white fog again, with air so dense the snow around him seemed to float in midair. Beneath his feet was a pile of snow that disappeared into the white fog. There seemed to be no ground to stand on, and no sky to look to. And somehow, it seemed dark and empty.

 

“Am... I dead?” Will asked the silence, waving a hand up and watched as the floating snow was moved away by the breeze he had made. “But... what about the Threshold? Aren't I supposed to go there?” He looked around, hoping to hear something, or see anything.

 

Nothing came.

 

Will hugged himself, feeling the chill sinking in. “Is this death? You just freeze all over?”

 

The minutes slowly rolled by, and nothing came. Nothing sounded.

 

Finally, a chime broke out. A hardy middle C-note sounded and echoed in the abyss. Will looked around, and down to his feet. An odd circle formed around him, large enough to lay in. As he studied it, he realized the snow was turning black, like ink was poisoning it. But it wasn't a solid circle. It was hollow, and was slowly filling in with odd designs and symbols. Uneasily, Will watched as the markings came closer to his feet. As he looked down, turning around to see the whole design, Will could somehow identify it. It was a seal. A special, certain, seal.

 

“Matéas.” Will said softly. Another chime, of the same note, sounded and the glyph sparked a brief purple color.

 

Will's eyes widened, realizing what he had to do. “Matéas! I need you!”

 

The glyph sparked the purple color again. The color shot up around Will like a fierce wind. Will covered his face from it. It was cold air and yet, it was warm and seducing; Much like the toxins that had been forced into his body when he breathed the smog Matéas had put out before.

 

Then, a voice echoed around him. “Look what you found for me. My sword.” A chuckle came. “You'll give me that in exchange for letting you live?”

 

Will coughed at the air, shouting back. “So I died?”

 

“Not yet.” answered Matéas's voice, it still holding that sultry quality. The wind around Will as it blew upwards was thick with the aura of the god's power. “You've come too soon, for this world has not yet even formed to welcome you.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“When you die, you're greeted by a door in a world all your own within your own consciousness.” Matéas explained easily. “However, your door isn't here. Your world hasn't even formed. Only the ground beneath your feet is here. That's why it took a while for your Blessing to even appear.”

 

“So I'm not dead yet- and no where near it?” Will asked.

 

“If you die now, the world across the Threshold will be unprepared for you.” was the mysterious answer. “It's best that you do not know what waits on the other side of the Threshold.” He paused, “Will you give me back the sword?”

 

Will shook his head, “Not happening.”

 

“You're just a pawn, meant to deliver it to me.” Matéas corrected, starting to sound upset. “Why else would the little bird give it to you?”

 

“You can't have it, Matéas.” Will said firmly, still blocking his face from the wind.

 

A cruel echoing laughter came around him, as if it were moving up and down the tower of purple wind. “You have no need of it. A sword that can smite a god? What is that to a lost little boy?” Will didn't answer, so Matéas continued his cruel words. “A single rose within a forest of them does not shine unique or special. It is identical, and expendable.” Still, Will said nothing. “What does a wilting flower need a sword for? You would only prolong your pain and suffering if you were to use it. Is that what you want? You want to suffer more?”

 

The words grew closer to Will's ear as they dropped to a husky whisper, sending shivers down his spine.

 

“You want to drown in a pool of anguish? Of sorrow. Of self-deprecation.”

 

“I am worth nothing.” Will answered finally. “I can accept that.” He shifted his arms down, “But I can't accept that Crow thinks that!” He reached into his pocket, pulled out the earring, and as he did, it changed in his hand to the handle of the sword, the hilt curling around his fingers and the blade shooting up through the purple wind. Will sliced through the wind in a wide circle, the sword cutting it off, and the glyph stopped glowing as laughter echoed around him.

 

“The bird sure has given you a sense of confidence.” Matéas laughed around him. “So you will keep the sword and all the suffering that will follow?”

 

“I would rather suffer in that pool of anguish then be silenced by your laughter!” Will said with ferocity. He swung the sword down, stabbing the blade into the glyph, which shattered apart.

 

The ground cracked beneath him, and like sand, the snow and the glyph rushed into the crack. Will slammed the sword down again, making the crack larger. Again and again, Will slammed the sword down.

 

Around him, Will heard Matéas's final words. “You may have broken the seal here, but it's just aesthetics. In reality, that seal is burned into your heart.”

 

“Too bad,” Will said mockingly, slamming the sword down again. The crack was almost large enough to swallow him now. “Cause right now my heart is carpeted by hickeys!”

 

And with a final stab of the sword, the crack burst open swallowing Will suddenly down into the void.

 

Will shouted as he suddenly sat up in the soft warm bed. He stared around him baffled. The room was dark and cold, and outside the large windows, the stars twinkled in the midnight sky. Will looked around, noticing he was in Alexander's bed. He jumped and looked around for the sword. Will yelped when his hand hit a warm body laying next to him.

 

He heard a groan from under the blankets, and carefully Will lifted them to look underneath. Crow was curled up, starting to straighten up as he had been woken up from Will jumping around. On his ear Will noticed the blue winged cuff- Crow was wearing _Invictus_ , as it had returned to it's earring form.

 

Crow yawned a bit and sat up. He squinted at Will, and felt Will's head around his brow, ears and then the back of his head. “You okay? You look like you had a nightmare.” he asked in a hushed whisper.

 

Will just then realized he had gauze bandages wrapped around his head. “It... was just a bad dream.” Will hung his head some, then turned it to look around the room as Crow still felt at the bandages. “What happened? Why are you here?”

 

Crow let go of Will, and rubbed some sleep from his eyes. “I broke into the palace and tried to steal the chalice. Rhys didn't like that and had me kicked out, tossing the chalice out with me. He was pretty mad.” Crow shrugged, smiling some. “I went to find you, and saw an ambulance headed toward your house. So I uh... I came here looking for you. Some nagging woman wouldn't let me in but the little tyke from the party said I was a good-guy and let me in.”

 

“...But... what happened?” Will asked, staring at him.

 

“You fell off a chair.” Crow answered. “The kid said you lost your balance and fell. You were bleeding pretty badly. They had to call the medic right away. They were worried you were gonna die.”

 

“They?” Will cut in, holding up a hand to stop Crow.

 

“Yeah. The kid, the nagging lady and Adell.” Crow said, nodding. “Them. They were in here checking up on you every ten minutes for a while. Took me a bit to shoo them out so you could sleep.”

 

“Sleep?” Will asked.

 

“Yeah. Sleep.” Crow nodded. “You were sleeping.”

 

“No-- I was...” Will stared at him, then around the room. “I was talking to Matéas... In... some empty place. He was--”

 

“Matéas?” Crow cut in, raising a brow. “Why were you talking to him?”

 

“He put a seal on me.” Will said. “A... blessing?”

 

Crow grabbed Will suddenly. “When! Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?” Will shook his head slowly. Crow let go of him and shifted back. “Are you scared?” Crow asked after a moment of watching Will look around the room, though he didn't try to get up from the bed at all. Will looked at him surprised. “You were screaming when you woke.” Will shrugged a bit, looking to his lap. “I'm sorry. I wasn't there to help.”

 

“You were.” Will said immediately. Crow looked to him in shock. Will nodded, looking up to him. “You and that sword saved me. He said, I'm worth nothing. I fade into the crowd and have nothing special.” Will whispered, looking down to his hands. “But... You seem to like me,” he shrugged his shoulders up a bit, his voice sounding hopeful briefly. “And that gave me...” His words trailed off as Will realized it. _Gave me the will to fight._

 

Crow shifted closer, putting a hand on Will's head gently. “It's okay. I'm here now.”

 

Will leaned forward, falling halfway over the blankets on his lap and pulled his knees to his chest. Crow carefully patted the top of Will's head uneasily. “I don't know what to do now. He's right. I really am lost.”

 

Crow shook his head, moving to hug Will, in a very awkward way so as not to move him. “Be lost. In the middle of the ocean, in a dense forest, or high up in the mountains. Wherever you go, I'll find you.”

 

“Why?” Will asked, not moving, his voice cracking as he felt some tears coming.

 

Crow opened his mouth to answer, feeling a pain strike in his golden eyes as his god moved into his body and squeezed some pressure onto him. He'd have to answer carefully to avoid severe pain. Crow thought carefully over his answer, trying to reword it as best as possible. “Because, you taste better than any sugarplum fairy.”

 

Will chuckled a bit, but didn't answer.

 

A few minutes later and Will was laying on his back with his head propped up again uncomfortably on several pillows to make sure he didn't bleed more from the wound on his head. Crow was laying next to him under the covers, though they didn't touch. He just lay there watching as Will closed his eyes and began to fall back to sleep.

 

“ _Clever little answer, Crow._ ” Came the heavy voice inside Crow's head. “ _It's too bad he'll never understand you._ ” Crow's eyes glared into the mattress, thinning in disgust. “ _But I will. I'll embrace your desires for freedom, and shower you with all the open atmospheres so that you may drink to your fill every day. But he won't._ ” the voice whispered huskily the sickening words slowly into Crow's head.“ _He'll try to bind you down. Control you. Suffocate you in sickening air and claim it's love. He doesn't love you. You dropped him off a cliff, Crow. He wants to kill you. You took the memories from his father. You made him forget his son. And then you let a god rifle with his delicate little mind._ ” The voice paused for a breath, then spoke slower. “ _Do you think he can love you after all that? When he finds out, everything that you've done, his blue eyes will show a sickening disgust for you that will be colored red with anger and hate. He'll spill your blood. Or better yet. His weak little pathetic heart will be so broken that he won't be able to move._ ” Crow tensed his jaw, gritting his teeth as he closed his eyes tight, forced to listen to this horrible monologue.

 

“ _I heard souls full of heart-break and despair that once were filled with light and joy taste the best. That shattered reality is like steeping a really good tea for too long and drowning it with honey. It's bitter, and sweet._ ”

 

“Too bad for you, I won't ever tell him.” Crow whispered sharply.

 

Then, he heard a laugh that sickened him. “ _Not like you'll have a choice, Lien._ ” Crow opened his golden eyes, feeling them get heavier as if the metal concentration within them was increased. He looked up sadly to Will's sleeping figure. Annoyed at himself, he shifted to get out of the bed, but found himself weighted down and unable to move. His blood itself felt like it weighed several tons. Crow couldn't move.

 

“Damn.” Crow cursed closing his eyes. “I'll run you through!”

 

“ _Not before I dine on his succulent soul._ ”

 

Crow smirked, giving as much courage as he could to his whisper. “You won't eat him tonight.”

 

“ _True. His flavor isn't ripe. But, tomorrow... is another day._ ”

 

**Random Fact #1: Crow doesn't like flying things (ie: butterflies, owls...)**


	28. Phase 28

Will and Crow woke up that following morning to the sound of an alarm clock that went off at 7am sharp. Groggily they sat up and looked at the clock. Since Crow was closest, he reached over and turned it off, and then started to snuggle back into the warm heavy comforters. Will had sat up and watched as Crow turned off the clock, and had started to snuggle back in to warmth.

 

Both of them felt like they needed ten more hours of sleep. The night had been restless. Will rolled and shivered in his sleep, dreaming of Matéas talking to him about the sword. It felt all too real and threatening, so much that Will just couldn't get comfortable enough to really sleep. And Crow had spent the night barely sleeping as he worried what the dawn would bring. His god that held the Bind on him could control so much of him. He could move Crow's body like a puppet, and force him to do things against his will by order of his name. Crow hadn't heard his name in years and suddenly the day Will says it, the god gives him an order. The coincidence seemed like a haunting shadow.

 

 _But if Will has a Blessing on him_ , Crow thought hopefully in the night, just enough to ease into sleep. _Then he can't consume his soul-- he can't even mess with his head anymore. For now, Will's safe._

 

However, these thoughts brought nothing but sick laughter echoing into Crow's mind. It pissed Crow off. The god was amused, as if Crow's thoughts were the naïve dreams of a child longing to find the base of the rainbow.

 

Crow opened his eyes, peering their golden wonderment across the bedsheets to Will's figure. The grays and whites blurred together. The shirt Will wore was light and fluffy, but still gray. His skin was darker, with his hair darker than that, but the shades were similar on the spectrum. Crow knew from looking in a mirror his skin was paler then Will's, but his hair was far darker.

 

 _Obviously his would be lighter- he's got rose pink hair- as dusty as a cloud at sunset. And my hair is like a midnight sky without a moon._ Crow closed his eyes, feeling a pain rip at his heart. _...For I have no light to guide me._

 

A knock came at the door to the room. Crow opened his eyes, sitting up to look over Will's body, who hadn't moved. The door opened and in came Alexander skipping. He hopped his way over to the bedside, resting his arms along the edge and poked at Will's cheek playfully.

 

Crow looked from the boy to the door to see Adell walk in. The man was dressed in some fancy suit with his fiery red hair gelled back smoothly. He looked smug, conceited, and rich. It disgusted Crow.

 

“I trust you didn't steal anything overnight.” Adell said as he came in, circling around the room to make sure all the most expensive things were in their proper place.

 

Crow waved an arm. “Oh, how could I? I'd have to leave to steal it first.”

 

Adell turned his eyes on Crow, a sharp glare. “Perhaps, but one can steal something without intending to. Can't he?”

 

Crow's eyes thinned, feeling the tension in the air. He was coming under scrutiny of the Grand Duke himself. “Maybe. Why?”

 

“I want you to get out.” Adell said firmly. “And take the kitchen-boy with you.”

 

“Don't you want to make sure he's better before he leaves with a banged up head?” Crow asked, annoyed.

 

“I don't need a headline to read 'Crazy Cast-out Boy Injured In Grand Duke's Home'.” Adell answered, crossing his arms. “You will take him out of my house, and life, for good.”

 

Crow shrugged. “I can't promise that, old man.” He snickered, “Where do you even want me to take him?”

 

“The Threshold.” Adell answered. “You have gold eyes. Only someone from there could've given you those.” He paused, looking Crow up and down a moment. “I don't care if you're human, or not. Eat the boy, take him into the slave trade. Whatever. Just get him out of my life.”

 

Crow shifted to jump up. “How the hell could you say that about your own son! He's right here in this room! Don't talk about him like he's not here!”

 

Adell shouted back, “Alexander is my only son! That boy is nothing but a pathetic weak nuisance.”

 

Crow got up, pointing at Adell, walking toward him. He shouted back at the man, “You're only saying that because you're afraid!”

 

“Afraid of what?” Adell asked, glaring into the golden eyes.

 

“Afraid of the thought that just maybe he is your son!” Crow growled. “You can't stand it. How horrible you've treated him. He's not a servant to you. He's your slave! You probably order him around up and down and all around, until he faints at night on a pathetic flea-ridden bed in some leaky crappy ass room!”

 

Adell swung a punch at Crow's stomach, shoving the young man to the floor. Adell's anger was present on his face when Crow looked up through a foggy glare. “That... boy... Is not my son.” Adell answered with anger and rage, slowly and kept the words apart for impact. “He's crazy, and is a threat to my child. That injury on his head is from his own negligence.”

 

Will shifted to sitting up on the bed. Alexander had already jumped up and hidden underneath the blankets by Will's stomach. Will had one hand under the blankets, which Alexander was grasping at tightly. With his other hand, Will smoothed his bangs from his eyes, letting them curl around his cheeks and some be over his nose. His azure eyes focused on Adell. Adell looked up to Will, and their eyes met, briefly.

 

Adell's eyes tensed a moment, as if he remembered something. But instantly it was gone, as he straightened himself out and turned to leave the room. Over his shoulder he called to them, “If you're not out by eight, I'm calling the guards.” And he left the room to the silence.

 

Will watched as his father left the room. He felt nauseous, and sick. His head was pounding, the pain focusing on the cut on the back of his head. His shoulders and ribs started to hurt from where he had fallen on them. All the moisture left Will's mouth and throat, leaving him to gasp for air after a few seconds.

 

Crow looked to Will as he had straightened up, holding his gut. He saw as Will's face looked odd, perhaps pale. Will's expression was plain though- he was shoving with all his might any emotions that were rocketing up back down. His eyes were wide, but as Crow watched, Will's eyes became focused on the comforter in front of him, and within a few seconds they were devoid of shimmering feelings.

 

Crow couldn't help but stare quietly at Will. He watched in stunned silence as Will shifted up, patted Alexander's head, and then pulled on his shoes. Will spotted the lyre on the bedside table. He picked it up suddenly and walked over to Crow, dropping it at his feet.

 

“Here.” He said, his voice soft and bitter. “This is what you wanted.”

 

Crow stared at the lyre and then back up to Will. He was leaving the room, just like that. He was... “Are you just gonna take that?” Will stopped at the door, and turned to give Crow a genuine look of curiosity. “He said you're crazy-- no better than a sex slave. You're just gonna--”

 

“It doesn't matter.” Will cut in, his expression blank. Crow blinked, staring at Will in shock. “I'm not his son. He can say what he wants.”

 

“No!” Crow shouted. “You are his son!”

 

Will shook his head. “I'm not.”

 

“You are!” Crow shouted, louder, trying to affirm it.

 

Will shouted at him, shaking his arms as he did. “I'M NOT!!”

 

Crow's eyes went wide as he stared at Will. Unlike last time, Will shouted at him when Crow pushed too hard, Will didn't regain his emotionless composure. Will stood there with his body trembling. Crow opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came. He tried to force it out, but instead he felt a pain in his throat. The god was stifling his words from coming out.

 

Will shook his head, his eyes downcast. Crow couldn't see his face. A soft breath echoed in the room like a sob, and Will's voice trembled after it. “He... He said it himself.” Will took a breath, swallowing down some tears. “If I stay, I'll only hurt him more.” Will's voice pitched up and down.

 

Crow tried to say something, opening his mouth wider and shoving a breath through harder. He even took a few steps toward Will's shaking body. The god used such a force to stop him. Crow couldn't speak, and his body felt like he weighed a ton again. His own blood was making him feel heavy and sluggish.

 

“So,” Will shook an arm, gesturing to the lyre, before jerking it beside his body in an annoyed manner. “Take what you want and be _done_.”

 

“ _This is a good flavor._ ” came an echo inside Crow's head. “ _I think now's a good time. Tell him._ ”

 

 _Fuck off!_ Crow thought instantly back to the god.

 

“ _Lien. You will tell Will Bel'vaz right now._ ”

 

Crow's gut twisted and his heart jerked- but this pain wasn't from the god. It was from Crow tensing all of his body to stop his words. But they forced their way out.

 

“I'm not done.” Crow said, loud and clear and sharply. “Your dad's amnesia...” Crow's words stopped. He was gripping his hands into tightly clenched fists, trying hard to flex the muscles so that his words would stop. It didn't slow them down long. “I caused it.”

 

Slowly, Will's head lifted up. With tears streaking down his cheeks, and his nose darker-- Crow could tell the crying face without colors. Will's lips parted as he grew a hint of a testing look. “You... what?”

 

“I took your dad's memories-- of your mom.” Crow answered, the words practically falling out of his throat. A smile was forced onto his face, and a laugh choked out. “He came to me and said he wanted to forget all that pain. What was the point-- to live with such immense pain? So I reached in,” Crow pantomimed reaching his hand forward and grasped at the air, “And took all of them.” He made his hand a fist and jerked his arm back to his body. “Every last memory of Lae'ri.” He smiled briefly again, an airy laugh coming out. “And cause,” another laugh, “You're her son, he can't remember you, too! So by extension, you were ripped out just as violently.”

 

Will's brows tensed, his lip quivered and for a moment he just stared at Crow like he couldn't believe it. He'd been hit by a truck. Smacked real hard. No words were coming. No thoughts were forming. Was he even breathing? Will couldn't feel any air coming into his lungs. That nauseous feeling welled up stronger. He grew dizzy. The throbbing on his head pounded so hard it hurt. Will grabbed at his forehead, feeling himself lean over. That didn't help. He turned to the door, grabbing at the doorstop with his free hand, and led himself out of the room. He left looking like a seasick man trying to find his way up the deck to throw-up.

 

Crow's jaw shook with frustration. He tried to shout something after Will. An apology, anything. Not a single sound came. His throat was being held fast. Frustrated, Crow fell to his knees and slammed both of his fists down in front of him. Finally a word jerked out of his throat. “Damn!”

 

Crow jerked up suddenly, sliding away from his spot on the floor when he felt a little hand tug at his wild and curly hair. He stared up with wild eyes at the little boy before him. Alexander was there. He had never left. He heard the whole thing.

 

“Why did you say that?” Alexander asked. “Why was daddy mad? Why did Will leave? Why did he cry?” Alexander tilted his head, his eyes staring down at Crow with that same intense curiosity that Will's reflected.

 

Crow gawked at the child. He had no words of his own now, no answers to cling to.

 

“Why are you crying?”

 

Crow's eyes widened. He lifted his hand and felt his eye and then looked at his hand at the tears on his finger tips. He was crying. Crow sagged his head down, unable to look anywhere else. “I might aswell be dead.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I'm a jackass!” Crow shouted sharply.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because that stupid fuc....” Crow grit his teeth, unable to finish the curse. He let out a tense breath, looking up to Alexander's curious, worried face. “I took something... that I shouldn't have. And now, even if I put it back, it won't solve anything.”

 

“Put something else back.”

 

“Huh?” Crow stared at him. _What silly logic. Put something else back._ “I can't just--”

 

“Apologize.” Alexander said. He knelt down and picked up the lyre and held it out to Crow. “You made Will cry. You need to apologize.”

 

“He won't listen.” Crow shook his head, pushing away the lyre.

 

Alexander pushed it toward him again. “He will! He's a good listener!” Crow looked up to him. A smile grew on the little boy's face. “Can't you try?”

 

“I can't.” Crow shook his head, looking away. “I'll be dead before I even get out of this room.”

 

“But...” Alexander frowned. “I thought you were his friend,” he said softly, his arm dropping and the lyre fell to the floor.

 

Crow shook his head. “I'm not. I'm a bad-guy. I lied to him.”

 

“To me?”

 

Crow nodded.

 

“How come?”

 

“It... was all I could do.” Crow answered quietly. He sighed heavily, looking at the lyre. “I'm sorry, kid.”

 

Alexander turned and walked away, leaving the room. “Say sorry to Will!” Though Alexander's voice was broken and hurt, Crow could tell that the little boy was saying it because he was concerned for Will.

 

Crow sighed again, looking to the lyre. _He makes it sound like it's a piece of cake._

 

Meanwhile, Will had hobbled his way down the hall, around and down the stairs, outside into the rain again and uneasily walked down the path. At the gate a horse-drawn carriage stopped him. The footman jumped down, opened the door and urged Will inside. Will sat on one bench across from the other. He still looked pale and sick, with a few tears coming down his face.

 

The man inside, Rhys, gawked at him. “What... happened?” Will shook his head, not wanting to answer. “Did Adell...?” Will shook his head again. “Then who?”

 

“I just wanna leave.” Will answered quietly.

 

Rhys nodded, a surprised look on his face. He called out to the driver. “Back to the palace!” Will sunk into the back of the carriage, looking out the window as the rain hit the glass slowly. It was a short ride, but was long enough for Rhys to ask one more question near the end. “Did Crow hurt you?”

 

Will smiled a bit, a light laugh coming from his mouth. He shook his head, still looking out the window with an empty stare. “A slave perfect for sex doesn't get to feel pain.”

 

Rhys face was shocked and saddened. “Who... called you a sex slave?”

 

“My dad.”

 

“What!?”

 

“And the little bird tried to defend me.” Will answered, his voice quiet and raspy. His words almost didn't even come out.

 

“Are you okay?” Rhys asked, leaning forward to touch Will's brow.

 

Will leaned his head away before Rhys could touch him. “I'm tired of this. I don't want to feel anything anymore.”

 

Rhys leaned back, frowning at his godson. “What'll you do?”

 

Will stared out the window, with no expression on his face. When the carriage stopped, Will answered, his fingernail tracing a raindrop down the glass slowly. “I'll just forget it all happened.”

 

Will's eyes looked up to the dark sky. _If he refused to live with the pain of her death, then why should I bear it? Why should I have to live with the memory of being his son? And why should I have to live with these chaotic emotions towards another guy? I don't see the point of it anymore._

 

Rhys got out of the carriage and turned back to look at Will, who hadn't moved. “You know.... I've got some really bad memories that keep me up at night. Sometimes, I'm afraid to sleep at all.” Will didn't move. “But I'd rather live with that pain, than the empty void of them missing.”

 

Will moved his eyes a bit to look after Rhys, but the king was gone. He sighed a bit, looking out of the window again. He could feel the blood slipping down the back of his neck from his wound.

 

 

**Random Fact #2: In their society, high-ranking nobles aren't taught how to flirt. Their first kiss is also valued, meant for the person they're going to marry.**


	29. Phase 29

As Crow sat on the floor staring at the lyre he noticed it had a few char marks on it. He reached over, picking it up, and started to brush the marks off. The wood itself wasn't damaged. Everything looked fine, but Crow didn't know instruments well. He held it in one hand, bracing the instrument to his forearm and plucked at a cord with his other hand. A simple lonely note rang out.

 

Crow let out a sigh, hanging his head. “All that for this?” He looked the instrument over again. After a few minutes, Crow stood up and got himself properly dressed. He looked at the pillow that had been bracing Will's head up and noticed it bloody. He reached his hand toward the blood but stopped short, recoiling his hand. “Guess it _was_ pretty bad.”

 

“ _You humans always say tell the truth. Why does this bother you?_ ” came the god's voice in Crow's head.

 

Crow glared to his right. “Why do _you_ bother _me_?”

 

A chuckle sounded as Crow picked up the lyre and gathered the golden sparkling chalice from the floor by the bed. “ _As I said. You're entertaining._ ”

 

“Oooh, meal _and_ a show!” Crow mocked, pulling on his cloak.

 

“ _Sarcasm isn't your strongest point._ ”

 

Crow shook his head, snickering a bit as he left the room. “What does a god know about good humor?”

 

“ _I know that sarcasm exists to fill the void of the sorrow your soul is dripping in._ ” He paused, asking his question as Crow left the front door of the mansion. “ _Tell me, what makes you so sad? You have the power of a god behind you, and yet, you claim you aren't strong. You can freely roam between all the worlds, and you say you aren't free._ ”

 

Crow shook his head, glaring inwardly. This was the mindless banter and questions he had to listen to for the last five years. He was used to it now. Sometimes he'd talk back, and sometimes he'd just try to ignore the voice.

 

“ _Going to your little hide-out again?_ ” asked the god. “ _Why do you think I haven't stopped you yet?_ ”

 

Crow froze, his hand on the knob to the magic door in front of him. “Like I said. It's a show.” And Crow opened the door and went in before he heard a reply. He sighed, pushing his back against the door and slid down to the floor.

 

In front of him, Crow placed the three out of the four items he needed. Lae'ri's lyre, Rhys's golden chalice, and Matéas's sword. Slowly, Crow ran his fingers over the cords to the lyre, bringing out a nonsense melody. He lifted and inspected the chalice, wondering if a drink would appear. He stood and raised the sword up, swinging it around. He lifted the handle up, letting the blade drop to the floor and looked it over, then dropped his arm with a sigh.

 

“What'd I do wrong?” he asked the dark room. “I just... I just wanted my freedom.” He looked up to the ceiling and shouted, “Is that so bad?”

 

Crow sat back down, and began to use the blade of the sword to carve out straight lines of the wood flooring. He stared at the carvings and continued to do so, mesmerizing himself with the useless task. He spaced out, recalling his past.

 

Crow returned back in time to a day eight years ago. He was sixteen. His hair was longer than now, but was curled and wild and fluffy and thick. Highly unruly, but Crow kept it long as a statement of protest against his father. Back then, it was all about his father.

 

Crow's mother had heard about the accident in the storm when Will had fallen off the cliff. Lae'ri had lied. He wasn't a hero. He was a 'reckless uncontrollable child', said his mother. She was furious at him. She hit him, smacked him, beat him. As the months rolled on and Crow grew older from eight-years-old, his mother became angrier at him. Sometimes she would just shout at him, other times she would never look at him. His loving, sweet mother was gone. Her beautiful smile turned into a grimace. His father, James, had her looked at by a doctor when Crow was ten. She had some sort of mental issue Crow couldn't understand, or recall. All he remembered was her anger when she saw him.

 

When he was twelve, and he had fallen off a horse during knight-training, she took her anger out on him. She was screaming at him, “What if you hurt that horse! How could you! You're reckless! Learn from your mistakes! Can't you remember it! Can't you be careful?!”

 

James came into the room during this time, told Crow to run and hide. Crow couldn't come home. He had to live in the knight's barracks. He was angry and refused to talk to anyone. He didn't want to listen to their rules. He didn't want to be a knight anymore. The only thing he enjoyed was the swordsmanship trainings. He could stay up late at night and take all of his rage out on wooden dummies. He dulled and broke many swords.

 

Word came to his mother once again, and she was furious. The doctors came. They went in to her room during her screaming fit. Crow was home at the time, the cause of the screaming. He opened the door and looked in, seeing his mother shouting and screaming. She looked like a monster with wild eyes. He couldn't really see what was happening, but the doctors were trying to restrain her. They were trying to put a needle in her. She grabbed a sword from the wall and swung it around. A wave of static and fog covered what happened in the room from Crow's eyes. It happened fast, and then there was blood on Crow's face. He looked down, seeing blood on the floor and the doctor's murmuring voices held words he couldn't understand.

 

Crow pushed the carvings away, listening to the metal on wood sound. It burned his ears. His eyes twitched as he stared, continuing the motion.

 

He recalled the funeral. And from that day on, his father pushed Crow harder to be a great knight. Crow was forced to train with boys older and more skilled then him. He had to do hunts where he was being hunted and had to outsmart them, and all he had was a small knife. Crow returned to the barracks beaten and bruised at night. The other students thought he was being favored with all that attention from his father. So Crow's anger grew. He woke at dawn, trained all day, and slept a few hours before dawn. Some nights he didn't sleep.

 

When Crow was sixteen, he was arguing with his father about training periods. He was going to be promoted to a higher position, which meant he'd have to train with an older and tougher group of young adults and men. It was becoming too much.

 

“You want to be strong don't you? Responsible? Then take these lessons and become a man.” his father had said.

 

Crow's jaw tensed, remembering the anger he felt. His father never listened to him. He could never run away. There were teachers and older knights everywhere in the academy. And when he was caught escaping, the punishments involved being tied up outside in the storms and rain, or locked in tiny dark closets with no light. Still, Crow would fight for his escape until he'd have rope burns on his arms, and splinters in his fingers from the closets.

 

When he was nineteen, Crow was finally at a high enough position to be named a Lord, and was a High Knight. He had gone through the hardest trainings possible. He was only one rank below the knights who were the king's personal guard. Finally, by sheer accidental luck, Crow had become a knight who held the right to see the Grand Duke and his family. He was invited, along with all the other High Knights, to a grand party- one of those random ones throughout the year- where the knights can become familiar with the Grand Duke and other high-ranking nobles. Crow had fluffed his hair to allow it to look as unruly to his father as possible.

 

As a lord himself, Crow was able to wear something other then his High Knight's uniform. He wore a white long sleeved shirt that had puffy sleeves, a high collar, and vertical ruffles that came down the center. He wore capri-length dark red slacks with vertical black stripes and white ribbons around their base with black laced boots. Draping around his shoulders in a wide swoop was a single long scarf that was dark red with golden designs and trim, and red and gold fringes.

 

Crow took in a sharp breath before entering the mansion with a group of other High Knights. Some were in suits, others in the uniform sporting their awards and medals. He walked with them into the grand ballroom. It was decorated with large chandeliers and huge swaths of fabric draping from the ceiling. The air was warm, but it felt stuffy to him. His father was across the room dressed in his finest pressed uniform wearing all of his medals as he spoke at stiff attention with Adell, who looked far more relaxed. Crow's blue eyes scanned the room, spotting Lae'ri talking with some of the younger people, being a good hostess. As Crow looked around the room at the people mingling, he spotted the Grand Knights in their unmistakable gold and silver uniforms standing near or around King Rhys as he flirted with some of the women of the court.

 

Crow frowned, feeling his stomach turn. He hated this kind of thing- fancy food you didn't know what it was, boring music, and people you never wanted to talk to. It was all too stiff and stifling. He closed his eyes taking in a breath through his nose, trying to ground himself to at least the floor. They must've been pumping a strong fragrance into the air to make the guests dizzy. When he opened his eyes, right before him, across the entire ballroom floor, he spotted a young man standing against the wall next to a giant plant that hid him from half of the guest's sight. He was only noticeable because of his pink hair- it wasn't bright or anything. It was oddly dim and dusty, and just looked appealing and natural.

 

 _It's like he's blushing through his hair._ Crow had thought, staring in awe at the young man.

 

Crow jerked the sword against the wood flooring. The sound of it was now torturing his ears. It was loud and grating on his nerves. How much of this could he stand, he wondered as a side thought.

 

Crow couldn't really remember what Will was wearing. It was a yellow shirt, maybe a turtleneck and long sleeved, and brown reddish slacks. Was there anything else he was forgetting? Crow didn't care. He just remembered staring across the room at Will. He forgot the pink hair, and was focused on the blue of his eyes. They were so vibrant and stunning that Crow forgot everything else. This was the young man he had been barred from seeing for years due to the cliffs.

 

Crow took a step to start across the room to talk to him, but his dad's hand caught his shoulder and pulled him over. Crow suddenly was looking at King Rhys and his blue eyes and blond hair- but they seemed pastel and dull compared to Will's appearance.

 

“This is my son, Lien.” his father had said. “He's so excited to guard you! When can he start?”

 

Rhys had smiled, looking Crow up and down. “He looks quiet dependable...”

 

“Oh he is. Nothing reckless or flaky about my son!” James had answered with a hearty laugh.

 

“Great! When can he start?”

 

“Whenever you'd like.”

 

“Tomorrow?”

 

Crow had jerked out from his dad's grip. “What? No! No,” he glared at his father briefly before giving a bow to Rhys. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but I don't want to guard you.”

 

Rhys raised a brow, “Oh? Then who?”

 

Crow waved his arms, “No one really.”

 

James tried to shush Crow, as Rhys asked his next question. “Ah, then what do you want to do?”

 

Crow shoved his dad off, and bowed again to Rhys. “Anything else. I'd like to be a farmer, a fisherman, hell! I'll even push paperwork.” He turned and glared at his father, “But I don't want to be a knight.”

 

James glared back at Crow and Rhys laughed. “But you've been training as a knight all this time. Why not put those skills to use?”

 

“Harming innocent people?” Crow shook his head. “Sorry, but I haven't a taste for blood.”

 

Rhys held up his hand with a frown. “Oh, no no. Not blood. You wouldn't have to--”

 

“Then why arm us with swords? Are we going to be attacked?” Crow asked quickly and then shook his head again at them. “Sorry, Your Majesty, but I'm sick and tired of listening to orders, and if I have to listen to one more order I'm going to lose it.”

 

“Lien!” James had ordered sharply. “Watch your tongue!” He gestured to the blond, “This is your King.”

 

Crow shook his head, “And I'm your son.” He waved an arm at them and walked away before his father could grab him again.

 

Crow walked across the room, bobbing and weaving through the dancing people and the mingling crowds. He made it over to the plant where Will had been standing, but the young man was gone. A bit shocked and terrified, Crow looked around the room for him. Will had been standing there like he was a statue. It hadn't occurred to him that Will would move.

 

With a sigh, Crow left the ballroom and hurried into the foyer. He nodded to the butler at the door when he opened it for Crow and hurried out. Outside in the crisp night air, Crow took in a deep breath of the fresh air. It felt uplifting.

 

When he opened his eyes Crow noticed something odd he hadn't seen in years. There was no one around him. The door to the mansion was closed, and the path was cleared because everyone was inside or in the garden around back. No one knew he was out here. He took a hesitant step forward, his shoes scratching against the cement in the silence. Turning back he looked at the door and saw no one had noticed still. He took another step away from the door, and then again. Within a few minutes he was ten paces away. He wasn't making good time, but he was nervously walking away.

 

He froze when he heard the door open and then close, and then a voice called to him. “You're leaving?”

 

Crow looked over his shoulder, nearly doubling over when he spotted Will. Will was standing on the steps staring at him with curiosity shimmering in his azure eyes. It was hypnotic. So much so, that Crow found himself walking back towards him.

 

“Uh... Yeah. I was just leaving.” Crow answered, giving a brief nod to the young man.

 

“Don't you like parties?” Will asked, his hands clasped behind him.

 

Crow thought just then, _Wow, he's cute as hell._ “What?” Crow asked, blinking himself to reality. Will had asked him a question, and he had barely heard it. “Parties? Oh! Yeah, I like 'em. This was just... uh...” He stared at Will's eyes. _Thick lashes..._ “Hot. A little too hot for me.”

 

“Oh...” came the dull reply softly. It almost sounded disappointed. Crow could see that just maybe Will looked sad that he was leaving. _Wait! Is he... interested in me? Noooooo way. He can't be!_ “Do you... like being a High Knight?”

 

Crow felt his eyes widen in his surprise. _Holy fuck- he is!_ “Sort.. of...” _What the fuck answer is that? CRAP!!! Crap crap crap!_ “I mean---” He waved his hand, causing Will's face to light up with curiosity again. “I'd like to be your High Knight--- If that's okay?”

 

Will's eyes widened a bit, and Crow saw a nervousness come over him. _Fuck you nobles and your crap teachings- he doesn't get I'm hitting on him! Crap but he hit on me first!_

 

“But... Aren't you going to accept the promotion?” Will asked softly.

 

Crow leaned forward, baffled. “Promo-- what? Nooooo.” He shook his head and arms frantically. “Not happening. I don't wanna be a knight forever!”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Well uhm...” Crow was running out of words for this conversation. He let out a sigh, got on one knee suddenly and took Will's hand, looking up into the startled blue eyes above him. “I uh... I only wanna be your knight.”

 

Seeing the nervousness and shyness on Will, Crow let his grip relax as Will pulled his hand back slowly. “It's okay.” Will had answered.

 

Crow had stood up, bowed to Will and gave a wave. “Bye!”

 

He turned and ran off, sprinting down the road. Adrenaline was pumping through his blood as he ran, turning down and started to pick up the pace. No one was really noticing he was leaving. Crow made his grand escape that night, running all the way out of the city and up to the hills.

 

Crow jerked the sword from his hands. The scratching and clawing sounds were ringing in his ears painfully. He fell to his side, covering his ears with the palm of his hands and closed his eyes tight. _When did my recklessness turn into cowardice? Why did I run away from him? But that promotion... I didn't wanna be a knight anymore. It was all orders to an abusive level._


	30. Link 30

The day's air wasn't warm. It had a chill to it that made the wound on the back of Will's head sting. He sat in the carriage staring out to the sky. It was overcast light gray clouds that dimmed the area, as light rain fell. The window had several tiny streaks of water flowing down it that barely caught Will's attention.

 

After an hour or so there was a knock on the door and it opened again. Rhys looked in at Will. “How're you doing, kiddo? Hungry?” he asked softly, but tried to sound cheery.

 

Will didn't even move to look at him. He didn't move at all.

 

Rhys sighed. “Your dad told me you had gotten hurt and... I was coming to see if you're okay.” He paused, waiting to see if Will would do something. “I guess, hitting your head hurt more than we thought? Want me to call you a doctor?”

 

Rhys waited for Will to say something. After a moment, a soft word broke the silence, though it was nearly as airy as the misting rain outside. “No.”

 

“You're sure?” Rhys asked again.

 

Will nodded his head a bit.

 

He sighed, “Well, all right. I'll send someone to take you inside. I have to go out for a bit. Do you want any food or something to drink?”

 

Will shook his head a bit, and Rhys left him alone. Outside the carriage, Rhys pointed to a sentry. “Take him inside to one of the guestrooms. And make sure some bread and warm soup is brought to him.”

 

“Sir!” The sentry stiffened his stance and nodded his head firmly before moving.

 

Rhys pointed to two other guards, “You two, come with me.”

 

And as Rhys jumped down and started to walk away in his raincoat with the guards behind him, the one left opened the carriage door and started to talk to Will to direct him inside. It took a few minutes, but Will got up and followed the sentry inside, walking slowly through the rain and down the halls.

 

The guestroom Will was taken to wasn't too over-the-top lavish, considering this was the palace. It had a nice bed with good blankets on it, a wide open area big enough to waltz in, a door to a closet and a piano that aimed looking out the large curtained windows. Will came in and sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from the piano. The guard opened up some of the curtains to the large windows, bowed to Will and left the room.

 

Not long after a maid came in with a rolling cart with some food on it. She explained to Will that it was fresh bread and hot tomato soup. There was a cup of orange juice and a bowl of strawberries, too, if he wanted them. She left a plate on the soup and told him not to let it get cold before leaving the room.

 

Will didn't move. He sat there looking toward the ground staring off into space. He heard everything, but at the same time, he wasn't acknowledging it. He was narrowing his world through pure emotional thought, trying to shove down his emotions as best as possible. But, anger and frustration at Crow, and the urge to cry again, they kept wanting to boil over. It was creating a unique kind of pressure that was causing a headache for him.

 

In the meantime, Rhys had walked with his guards down to Adell's mansion. He opened the door without much care, didn't even nod or smile to the butler. He went through the house, room by room, with a wide gait. In one of the downstairs large dining rooms he spotted Adell sipping tea calmly.

 

Furious, Rhys walked over and knocked the china off the table and the cup from Adell's hand. “What the hell's wrong with you?” He asked angrily.

 

Adell yelped when the tea spilled all over him, standing up. “What the hell's wrong with you!”

 

Rhys shoved Adell to be sitting again. He may be smaller then Adell, but in strength it was clear they were closely matched. “What possessed you to call your own son a fucking sex-slave, huh?” Rhys yanked on Adell's red hair with one hand, his other arm bracing across his neck.

 

Adell grabbed at Rhys's blond hair and started to try and shove him off. “He's not my son!”

 

“And what? You just treat all your hardworking servants like utter trash?” Rhys shouted, shoving harder. The two guards kept back; They had learned to just let these two old friends fight.

 

“He's not that either!”

 

“You're right, Adell.” Rhys shouted to his face. “He's your son. Your son. Your blood. And you call him a sex-slave.”

 

“He might as well be!”

 

“Why!”

 

Adell shoved Rhys back a few feet. “Because! I-- I can't remember him! He's-- just a blot! Some black blot on my memory that I can't make out!” He shouted, standing up and gasped for air. He looked at the broken china and then up to Rhys again with his arms outstretched. “I know I had someone before-- and that I loved them with all my heart and soul-- but for the life of me, I can't place who they are. I know I had a child-- I know I did-- I remember someone giving birth to something—someone very important to me.”

 

Rhys straightened up, calming down some.

 

“When I saw all that blood from Will's head, I thought... I... I just had this urge to protect him and keep him safe.” Adell answered. “It was like he were Alexander, and I had to do anything I could. He was... hurt, and I... It scared me, Rhys.” Adell collapsed back into the chair with a heavy exhale. “I feared for his life as if he were my son with no thought on it.”

 

“Because he is your son! We've told you this a million times!”

 

“He is not!” Adell shouted suddenly.

 

Rhys shook his head. “You can't face it, can you? Can you even picture him as your son- after all of those terrible things you've done to him?”

 

Adell didn't answer nor look up to his friend.

 

Rhys walked over and shoved the chair Adell was in backwards so it fell over and Adell almost hit his head on the floor. Adell shouted and cursed as he got up, as Rhys grabbed his hair again.

 

“Face it. He is your son and you just called him a sex-slave and drove him from your house.” Rhys shouted. Then, he quieted his voice into a low rumble. “Now, I didn't want it to come to this but I see it has to.” Adell's eyes looked up to Rhys with shock. “As your one and only King, I order you to accept Will into your family as a proper son. He is my godson and if you refuse, I will see you returned to a lowly farmer back in the mountains.”

 

“N-no!” Adell begged. “My wife-- Alexander-- they can't take that kind of life and change!”

 

“Well then accept facts. Everyone here in the city knows Will is your son, and yet you're the _only_ one who is adamant that he isn't.” Rhys paused, letting go of the red hair and backed up again. “If you want me to find the old records and publishings, I can. Last time you threw such a tantrum when you saw them...”

 

“I didn't throw a tantrum!” Adell shouted back indignantly.

 

Rhys put a hand on his hip and glared into the eyes of his best friend. “I'm warning you. Either accept that my godson is your son within a week, or be in the next carriage ride out to the farm. I'll even order a special escort for you.”

 

“You mean exiled there.” Adell corrected, glaring at him.

 

Rhys shrugged. “When you called me, you told me you had a feeling that maybe Will was your son. If you truly feel that deep inside then why not just go with it?”

 

Adell shook his head. “Even if I feel it, there is no clear memory. Nothing at all to say that yes, he is my son. I may see it in pictures and writings, but he might as well be your son.”

 

“...but a sex-slave?”

 

Adell grimaced a bit, looking to Rhys. “...I... I said that out of anger at that boy.”

 

“What boy? Will?”

 

“No, some person who barged in here. Alexander said he was friends with him and pitched a fit when we wouldn't let the boy in to see Will.” Adell waved his hand. “Dark hair, pale skin and eyes of the sun.”

 

“A god?”

 

“Didn't have the aura.”

 

Rhys shrugged a bit, “Oh well.” He looked down to the broken china. “I can replace that.”

 

“Nah,” Adell waved his hand again. “It was some ugly set Mia bought last year. Never liked it.”

 

Rhys nodded and bit and started to leave. “As your king, I'll expect your report on the matter in seven days.” He paused as he started to leave the room, the two guards behind him. He looked back at Adell sulking in the chair in the large empty room. “It wouldn't hurt you to love two sons.” But Adell didn't say anything back and Rhys left the room. He cursed to himself, “Why did he have to pass-on that won't-talk-depressing trait to Will? If Alexander gets that...” He hung his head.

 

“Sire...” Spoke up one of the guards as they walked out of the house. “Was it wise to give him an ultimatum?”

 

“Do you suggest I had outright exiled him?”

 

“You had warned him before, correct?”

 

“True.” Rhys stopped once they were at the gate of the mansion. He turned to the guard, who bowed his head to show respect. “But he is my best friend. Would you just treat your best friend like any other citizen?”

 

“I would... try to be fair.”

 

“Indeed.” Rhys nodded. “Adell has such a temper. It was a miracle I was able to get him to let Will remain in his house as a servant.” He sighed, looking to the sky as darker clouds moved in. “It looks like we'll be in for another storm tonight.”

 

“Sire?”

 

“Let's head back to the palace. I want to check-in on Will.”

 

Back at the palace, Rhys took a moment to dry off and change his clothes before going to the guestroom Will was in. He poked his head in and saw Will sitting on the edge of the bed. The bowl that had been filled with strawberries was nearly empty now, with a half eaten one still there.

 

“You didn't try the soup.” Rhys said as he walked over to Will, lifting his head with his hands to see his face. Will's expression was lonely and empty. He looked as if he were ready to cry in his eyes, but the rest of his face showed no signs. “How's your head?”

 

“Pounding.” Will answered softly.

 

Rhys looked over his side to the door and waved at a man in a white coat to come in. He carried a black bag that closed at the top with a metal clasp. “Will,” Rhys lifted Will's head again to look at him. “This is Doctor Ri'vaz. He's gonna change your bandages and look at your head, all right?”

 

Will only gave a soft noise from his throat. The doctor smiled at Will, said a few things and explained what he was doing to Will while he was performing his actions. Rhys hovered a bit around the bed watching from a distance as the bandages were taken off and the doctor looked at the gash. It looked pretty shallow and had been sewn up cleanly with special threads that would dissolve.

 

The doctor applied some lotion, claiming this would help with any pain and help so there wouldn't be a scar. He parted Will's hair with bobby pins and told him to leave it be until he went to bed that night; It's important the wound gets some air to hurry the healing process. He gave Will a few pills and told him to take one if he felt a headache, dizzy, nauseated or any kind of pain in his head. He bowed to the King, packed up and left with only saying to call on him in two days to check the healing.

 

“It's going good, yeah?” Rhys asked Will, who had returned to staring at the floor.

 

Rhys grabbed Will's wrist and pulled him to stand up and then led him over to the piano. He sat the boy on the bench, opened the cover for the keys and held Will's hand above the piano.

 

“Here, you should play. It'll make you feel better, right?”

 

Will stared at the keys, his jaw loosening. He recognized the pattern of white and black, enough to read that he was looking at a piano. His shoulders started to tremble.

 

“It's okay.” Rhys whispered to his ear soothingly, then put Will's hand to the keys.

 

They were cold and smooth, sending tingles up Will's arm. Rhys pushed a key with Will's index finger and the note rang out clearly. It cut off suddenly when Will jerked his hand up and started to stand. Rhys grabbed his shoulders and fought with him a moment to sit back down.

 

“Whoa! It's okay, it's okay.” He said soothingly and softly. “It's just a piano. It's not going to hurt you.” Will sat down again, breathing hard with pants as terror filled him. “It won't judge you. It won't talk back. Nothing. It's just here for you.”

 

Will calmed down after a moment, staring at the keys and listening to Rhys. He carefully pressed the key again, briefly. Again the note rang, but shortly.

 

Rhys nodded. “If you play you'll feel better.” He patted Will's head and left the room. At the door he pointed to some guards, “Stand watch. Make sure no one disturbs him.”

 

“Yes, sire!” They bowed and stood by the door at attention.

 

As Rhys walked away down the hall he could hear every now and then a faint echo of a single note hesitantly being pressed.

 


	31. Link 31

Will played with hitting the notes on the piano hesitantly. With no expression on his face, he let some notes ring out long and others short. It was a nonsensical tune, the kind a little child would play at their first chance to hit the keys.

 

This went on for a while. The guards outside yawned and stretched, one leaning on his spear out of boredom listening to the notes as they echoed out of the door and into the hall.

 

“Man, why can't he play something nice?” the guard asked, teetering his posture on the spear. The other, standing at full attention didn't look at him, just continued surveying the area. “Isn't he some sort of famous pianist or something?”

 

“Supposedly.” Said the other. “But no one's really ever heard him play.”

 

“I heard he was a master and could play anything beautifully.”

 

“I heard he hated playing from sheets, though.”

 

The guard looked at the other, straightening up some. “How come? It's still a beautiful melody even if it's just the sheet music. Right?”

 

The guard nodded. “That's my thinking, too. But I remember His Majesty once mentioned Will's method of playing is similar to rain falling from a cloud. It's unpredictable, influenced, and can't be recreated.”

 

“...So, this broken-down thing we're listening to right now is...”

 

“Is how he's feeling right now, inside.” He finished with a nod, glancing to the other. The other straightened up, standing at attention again. “With how 'broken' it sounds, it makes me wish I could fix him right up.”

 

“The doc just went in to see him, right?”

 

“Yeah but, do you know any doctors who can fix a broken heart?”

 

“N-no...” He paused, “What's he down about?”

 

“I heard Grand Duke Adell finally snapped. It sounded like he kicked Will out for good.”

 

The two frowned at each other in silence, listening to the broken melody without a word. Neither one wanted to speculate any farther about Will's condition, and neither one was sure how to address it either. Or if it even was right for them to.

 

A few moments later, the music stopped.

 

Will sat with his fingers touching the keys but they weren't moving. He'd heard a voice deep within his being; One that wasn't his.

 

_Why'd you stop? It was sounding like you were getting somewhere._

 

Will looked behind him. The room remained empty. So he looked to the windows, and then glanced back around to the door. Everything seemed like it was before.

 

_This is no time to be feeling so far out-of-sorts, however, Will._

 

“Uh.... Who's...?” Will asked nervously, afraid he'd gone over the deep-end.

 

_Oh, dear. You've forgotten the sound of my voice already? I'm your god, Matéas, of course._

 

Will blinked, not really understanding. “Oh, uh... Hello.” He said to the room, not wanting to be rude. “But... How are you talking to me?”

 

_Through the Seal. Once a god has 'written' a Seal onto a soul they are freely able to communicate with that soul. In the case of a Blessing, like yours, it's just simple speech._

 

“Then, Crow has something else?”

 

_He's in a Bind, remember. It's the equivalent of being tortured every second. I believe the reference 'water-boarding' should make the idea translatable._

 

Will's gut twisted in a knot. “Is... Crow really being... Tortured that badly?” Matéas didn't answer. Will looked down to the piano, moving his hands to his lap.

 

_How is your head?_

 

“Oh, uh...” Surprised that Matéas was taking some form of interest, Will nodded a bit. “It's not so bad. I got some medicine for it.”

 

 _Good_ , answered Matéas before pausing again. _I have a favor to ask of you._

 

“Oh?” Will tilted his head, curious. _What could a god need help with from me?_

 

_That's how Blessings work, Will. I ask a favor and I supply an incentive for you to complete the requested task. Negotiations are possible, too, of course._

 

“...Can you hear what I'm thinking?”

 

_Yes._

 

Will looked to his palms, feeling exposed.

 

 _That doesn't mean I can read your emotions, however._ He paused again. _I would like you to retrieve the sword that Lisez stole from me. You should be familiar with it. It's the sword_ Invictus _that's in Crow's possession now._

 

“I don't...”

 

Matéas cut in before Will could say anything more. _The sword is too powerful for an ordinary soul to use it. Crow shouldn't be allowed to carry it any longer. He'll probably get tricked into handing it over to..._ His voice carried off.

 

Will frowned, “I don't know where he is...”

 

_I can fix that. I'll give you the ability to track the shortest course to the sword in your world._

 

Will looked up seeing something shimmer. Along the floor there were small glittering balls of white light shimmering in a few bunches several feet apart making what looked like a stepping stone pathway leading toward the door.

 

But Will didn't get up, instead he frowned. “I think Crow needs the sword still. Right?”

 

_Perhaps. But that's not my concern._

 

“It's mine, if you're asking me to take it from him.” Will answered. “I won't take it before he's finished with it.”

 

Matéas seemed to muse over his answer for a moment. _I know where your father's memories are being held. It would take little effort for you to recover them once on the Threshold._

 

Will looked to the piano, staring over the black and white pattern of the keys. He wasn't thinking over his answer in a way that Matéas could hear. Something deep within Will was stirring. His blue eyes shimmered as he looked over each key testingly, as if knowing from just looking at the key if it was stretched too tight or too loose.

 

“You have to let me get back the sword at the pace I think fits best.” Will answered finally, feeling the throb at the back of his head.

 

 _Very well. Once you return_ Invictus _to me, I will show you the way to the memories._

 

Will looked over to the shimmering pathway nervously. “I... really don't want much more to do with the Threshold, though. Just having a god talking in my head makes me feel crazy.” He waited a moment to see if Matéas would answer and put his nerves at ease, but nothing came.

 

Will got up and went to the door. He opened it quietly, looking out to the two guards. “Excuse me?”

 

The one that was standing at perfect attention on the left turned to Will without missing a beat, while the other jumped in surprise from the sudden voice. “Yes, sir?”

 

“Uhm... Could you get me a spare sentry uniform, please?”

 

“Certainly.” He gave a bow and walked off. A moment later, a new guard came walking around the corner and took his place, standing at perfect attention.

 

The other guard looked to Will, “What do you need the uniform for? Aren't there some nice clothes in there for you already?”

 

“Oh, yes, but..” Will paused, “They aren't that great after walking in them a while.”

 

“Ah...” The guard nodded, not sure what kind of explanation that was. “I'm pretty sure His Majesty will be here to check on you before nightfall.”

 

Will nodded, but didn't answer as the first guard returned and handed him a folded up stack of clothes with some boots and gloves on top. Will took the pile from the guard and went into the room, closing the door. The three guards looked to each other curiously, then the new one just walked off without a word.

 

“Do you think it'll fit him?” the guard asked, leaning on his spear again.

 

“Maybe.” He shrugged, “He's the sort who'd look best with his hair slicked back. He looks too gentle with his hair down like that.”

 

“Why do you think he wanted a uniform anyway?”

 

“Not sure.”

 

Will was inside changing clothes. The pants were a nice black denim that fit on the looser side but they came up to his belly so there was no danger of them falling down. They tapered in at the ankles so they were easy to get the boots on over them. Will tapped his toes and shifted his feet around a bit to make sure it was comfortable. He left a white tank on as a shirt, tucking it into the pants, then pulled on the navy long sleeve over it. He tucked that into his pants too. Then he pulled on the pastel blue vest, checking the fit over. It fit surprisingly well considering it was a standard issue. Will pulled on the gloves over the sleeves on the navy shirt and then the forearm guards, tightening them so they weren't loose.

 

Once he was dressed, Will looked himself over in the glass window's reflection. The sky was still dark outside, as some more rain was beginning to fall. Night was closing in fast. Admittedly, Will didn't look like a sentry. He looked handsome, but the sentry uniform didn't fit his personality very well. While he thought it over, Will messed with the bobby pins in his hair and fluffed it back down to cover the injury. It wasn't bleeding at the moment and it didn't feel too sore.

 

 _Maybe this was a bad idea..._ Will thought to himself. He shook his head. _Get the sword, get the memories. That's all._ He nodded to his reflection, giving himself a firm reassuring and serious look. He sighed a second later. _I'm sure Lien would've fit this kind of uniform._ Will looked back to the glass, looking out to the clouds.

 

He could almost picture Crow's back again. The firelight that had been licking his shape and form, his hair tousled in a more natural way then usual. The thought made Will frown and his eyelids heavy.

 

_Lien's as good as dead, huh...? What happened to him? Is there a way I could help him, Matéas?_

 

Matéas's voice came briefly. It brought with it all the power the god held, almost a suffocating energy. _I've always believed that while humans are interesting, they're the sort that's hard to help. They either want your help or don't, and most are too prideful to accept your help when they need it._

 

Will sighed a bit, then walked over to the end-table and picked up the medicine the doctor had left him for his injury. Then Will went to the door and out to the hall. The two guards turned to him immediately.

 

“Sir?” asked the first. “Can we get something for you?”

 

Will looked to him and then to the other, “Am I not allowed to leave?”

 

“You are... But, what should we tell His Majesty when he comes?” asked the second guard.

 

Will thought a moment, putting a hand on his hip. Then he looked to the guard, “Go and tell him immediately that I'm feeling much better, and remembered I have to do something for a friend. So, I'll be back later on.”

 

“Can we expect when?” asked the first.

 

Will shrugged, “I'm not sure... I don't foresee myself being gone longer then a few days.”

 

The two guards stood at attention, bowed a bit at Will and then hurried off to find where King Rhys had gone to. Will on the other hand, turned down the hallway and started to follow the sparkling trail outside. At the front doors to the palace, a butler standing near some guards handed Will an umbrella without a word. When Will looked at him, it didn't even look like he had opened his eyes.

 

“Thank you...” Will said politely, and then went out the doors. He opened the umbrella before stepping out into the rain. It was light mist, but it was heavy enough to bead on the umbrella and as he walked, Will could make out some drops falling from the edges.


	32. Link 32

Will had slept and spaced out on the piano long enough that by the time he left the palace, nightfall was setting in. As he made his way down the long steps toward the large fountain, the rain became heavier. Will found that the cold air brushed against the gash on his head a painful manner. It almost felt like it was bleeding again.

 

Once at the fountain, it was nearly steadily raining now. The street lights were glimmering in various directions going down thoroughfares, showing the entrances to smaller walking streets. It took Will a second to focus and find the small balls of white light on the ground that would guide him toward the sword. They led down one of the narrower passages leading toward the slums and the harbor.

 

 _This isn’t the way I came from before._ Will thought, pretty sure he had left Crow’s place before from a nicer neighborhood.

 

Matéas’s voice echoed in Will’s head suddenly. _It’s a magical room that exists in your world, of Black. The entrance to it and the room itself have been enchanted years ago._

 

Will looked up and around him a bit at the falling raindrops. _Meaning… what exactly? It changes location?_

 

_For the purposes of locating it, yes. The entrance changes from place to place while the room itself is unlocatable. All you have to do is follow the trail of lights._

 

“How does that work…?” Will asked softly aloud, but started following the lights toward the dark passage. At the entrance to the passage were tall apartment buildings with large trees on either side. The passage passed between the two buildings at their backs where they met. It was a pretty creepy dark alley as the lights sparkled into the darkness.

 

 _You said before that my world is Black. What’s the Threshold?_ Will asked while taking cautious steps into the darkness.

 

 _Gray._ Matéas answered matter-of-factly, as if it were a boring topic. _Black is where the creatures who are alive live; It’s a world where you create new memories and selves with no preconceived notions. Gray is where the spirits, ghouls and gods live. Those who are living or dead pass through the world to enter the other; It’s merely a doorway. The Threshold is… at best, described as a place where you exist in suspended animation. You neither progress towards death, or towards life._

 

He paused briefly, and then spoke before Will could ask another question. _White is the world of death, the one where you cross over to. On your way, you are given all of your memories- a pure collection saved that is eons old. With all of these memories as your building blocks, you grow and live in death. And when your time is up, you surrender all of your memories so that you may create new ones once more in Black._

 

Will stopped at the end of the dark alley. He had passed several turns and corridors, finally ending up in the slums. The end of the road opened out onto a small courtyard with another path across it, only this was more open to the world without buildings on both sides. Along the way, Will had passed several people sleeping against the buildings in the shadows curled into balls or carelessly sitting up against the walls. Most were trying to keep dry from the rain, but some were hopelessly drenched huddled around burn bins.

 

_Why are they called White and Black, not Life and Death?_

 

_Because they are not Life and Death. If it were, it’d be boring. Think of it as a book. In Black, you are given the ability to Create. In White, you no longer have that ability. You can only live based on what you’ve already Created. In the world of Gray, you can neither exist with all of your full memories, nor can you Create. You merely Are._

 

_Are gods the same way?_

 

Matéas chuckled. _No. We cannot leave our world. We can…employ spirits, ghouls and souls to work for us though. Likewise, as you’ve already seen, you are not required to pass into White. You can remain in the Threshold… However, you must remain in your current state- be it your Black or White form- under the protection of a god or ghoul._

 

Will walked through the courtyard as they spoke, finally ending up in a wide street with businesses running up and down the road. To his left led up a hill back towards the palace, and to his right the street ran directly to some docks and the dimly lit harbor. Will had to circle back up the hill to follow the lights before crossing the street to go down another pathway. This path was wider then the first, with small cute houses strung on either side.

 

_What’s a ghoul?_

 

_A vagabond- a spirit, like yourself, unable to leave the Threshold until they decide to move on to either world. They have no powers like normal spirits, who are creatures of nature. Vagabonds are roaming spirits capable of being consumed by a god at any point for they have no protecting Seal upon them. Truly, it is a terrifying existence._

 

Will stopped, finally at the end of the trail of lights; stopping at a brick wall of a large building closer to the path than the houses. It looked like an older style apartment building, but it wasn’t rundown at all.

 

 _Matéas._ Will said after a moment of silence. _I get the feeling you and Crow’s god have been fighting for a long time. What about?_

 

At first, no answer came. And then, a pounding feeling, heavy and dark weighed down Will so much that he fell to his knees. It was deep dark despair and anger. Matéas answered, _It’s an old game of Chess. One day, that god—that feckless neophyte took something important from me. One of my most precious of memories. I can’t recall what it is, I only have the strong urge to reclaim it. Hundreds of years have gone by… Most recently, many of our Players have died. But, when he got Crow, he was able to use him to kill my last Player and steal_ Invictus _from me._

 

Will shifted to stand back up, letting out a breath. “So that’s why you put a Seal on me.”

 

_Correct. You are my final piece- the King’s Bishop- able to make far and impacting moves._

 

“Why _Invictus_?”

 

_I’ve told you before: it holds the power to smite a god._

 

“You… want to kill this… neophyte?”

 

_Gods cannot die. We are broken and are forced to reform our image. I’ve already killed him once, but he did not give up the bearings to my stolen memory. Instead, he consumed his last Player at the time and now lives in his body as shell._

 

“….What’s left of the game?”

 

_The spirit Dove, the goddess Lisez, and the captive souls of Orion, Akiio and Lien. And my final Player, you._

 

Will looked at the brick before him, trying to imagine if they were all Chess pieces. “Gods aren’t part of the game- they only move the Players… Or are they the Kings?”

 

_The Kings, but removed from the board. If we fall, we die. We have different rules._

 

“So… who’s what piece?”

 

_You are the King’s Bishop. Akiio is the Queen’s Bishop, Dove is the King’s Rook, Lien is the King’s Knight, Lisez is one of the Queen’s Pawns, and for all I can figure, Orion is the King’s Bishop._

 

“You aren’t sure?”

 

_One is never sure of who is what in this kind of game. However, I plan to win._

 

“With just me?”

 

No more words came from Matéas. Will could feel the dark and heavy emotions leave his being. The god had left him alone to ponder the situation.

 

Will sighed after a moment, reaching an arm up to ruffle the back of his hair near the gash. _I don’t really want to have anything more to do with the Threshold then now. But… My dad still needs his… And the only way right now that I can see…_ Will sighed again, looking the brick wall over.

 

Tentatively he touched the brick and called out, “Crow… Are you there?” Nothing happened. Maybe the door had moved already. “Crow… Will you open the door…so we can speak?”

 

Inside, laying on his side hearing the burning of the sword scratching against the wood floor still in his ears… Crow suddenly heard a voice cut through the white noise. He opened his eyes instantly. But the voice was gone. He started to close his eyes again, but then the voice pierced through the silence again. Crow shot up, whirled around, opened the door suddenly and looked to see Will standing there with an umbrella over his head dressed in a plain old sentry’s uniform.

 

Crow stared at him for a second, as Will looked surprised that the door had opened. Crow regained his sense of reality first. He lifted his arm and gestured in behind him, “C’mon in.”


	33. Link 33

 

Will climbed in through the door and Crow closed it. After a few moments of settling where to stand and put the umbrella, Crow stood next to his bed and Will across from him by the door.

 

Crow spoke first, trying to not sound too irritated. “How’d you find me?”

 

“Matéas.” Will answered. “He gave me a path to the sword.”

 

Crow looked down at the sword on the ground, then chuckled. “Figures.”

 

Will tilted his head to the side. “You stole it from him, right?” Crow looked up at that, and then nodded.

 

“You’re slowly being filled in on the Game, I see.” Crow pointed out, crossing his arms. “What are you gonna do? Here to fight me for it and take it back?”

 

Will shook his head. “No.” Crow’s eyes thinned some. “You still need it. Right?” He nodded a bit, unsure what Will was getting at. Will gestured to Crow and then to the sword, “You use it first and when you’re done, you’ll give it back to me to return to Matéas.”

 

“Once I use it, the game will either be over, or down one Player.”

 

Will’s eyes thinned and his brows furrowed as he looked Crow over with confusion.

 

“I said so before: I’m going to kill him.” Crow answered. “And if that doesn’t work, he’ll kill me.”

 

“He can’t. He’s got a Seal on your soul…”

 

Crow shook his head, “A Seal may protect any god from consuming you… But it doesn’t stop them from killing you. Once I’m dead, I’ll just be able to be controlled by him all the more. He can overrun my body with his own soul like he did to that other guy. And then… Then I really will be nothing.”

 

“But you won’t be consumed?”

 

Crow sighed, waving his arms around a bit. “It’s hard to explain. A god can consume your soul, like a meal. Or they can absorb you- if you’re in a Bind. When you’re absorbed, your body is left behind and you’re trapped within the god’s soul.” He paused, “Think of every soul like a labyrinth- a bunch of small rooms with dark short corridors between them. Inside one of the rooms is an altar where the Seal is. Now if a god absorbs somebody, they’re trapped inside one of the rooms. A complete soul, locked up in a tiny prison with nothing but the god around them. Eventually they’ll go mad—and with no sanity left inside them—even if the god does die and have to reform, that person will be free and sent to the world of White or Black as a broken person.”

 

Will was afraid to ask, but it came out anyway. “Broken?”

 

Crow sighed again, this time heavier. “Broken. Unable to talk, feel, or think. They form in the world of Black as ‘miscarriages’. In White, they simply exist for however long they existed in Black, and then are back to being a ‘miscarriage’. Again and again. Over and over. Forever they will be put through this endless cycle. They’re so broken, their soul so shattered, that they can’t even escape to the Threshold. For eternity they’ll be nothing but broken.”

 

Will looked down without a word. “How… sad.” He continued speaking after a moment of silence. “Why is it… Everything that involves this… this reality… is so sad? Is there nothing good about it?”

 

Crow shrugged. “The broken souls are uncommon. Like I said, it takes a while for a soul to lose their sanity. But it will and has happened.”

 

Will looked back up to Crow, seeing his golden eyes glisten in the dim light. “I can understand now why you want your freedom so badly.” He paused, “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand before.”

 

Crow shook his head. “You had no way to.” He put a hand on his hip. “But. You wanna help me right? Get my freedom.”

 

Will studied Crow's face for a moment, checking for genuine emotions in his enigmatic words. _I_ do _want to help._ Will thought before he nodded gently.

 

Crow shrugged. “Well… When you can, make your way back to the shop, _Nocturne_.”

 

“Huh?” Will stared at him. “How come?”

 

A sly grin grew onto Crow’s face. “Because I’m not gonna be anybody’s new vessel. If Phyte wants to absorb me, he’s gonna have one hell of a time at it.”

 

Will tilted his head to the side, confused still.

 

Crow walked towards Will, picking up the sword on his way. “With you helping, I won’t need the chalices or the lyre.” He smiled at Will, patting his shoulder briefly, and then continued to the door. Will turned to watch him. “When you come, make sure you have a Piece of Cirrus.”

 

“Cirrus?”

 

“Piece of Cirrus.” Crow corrected. “Matéas should know how to get one. It’s from one of the highest cloud formations in Black. We’ll need it.”

 

“For what, might I ask?” Will asked, putting a hand on his hip. He didn’t like how Crow was ordering him about while being so secretive about his plan.

 

Crow turned to him with a bright smile on his face. “Easy. You’re gonna enter,” he lifted his left hand and with his index finger tapped his temple firmly twice, “my labyrinth.”

 

Before Will could figure out what Crow meant, Crow had already left the small little room and Will in silence. Will looked around a bit baffled at what he had just been told. He spotted the lyre and chalice, and grimaced at them.

 

“All this and I still don’t know what’s going on. Just where does reality end and these crazy worlds begin?” He sighed, looking frustrated at the ground.

 

After a few moments he walked outside. He reemerged at one of the docks at the harbor. The door had moved again. Will groaned at his new location. He wasn’t sure how to get back to the palace, or to Matéas, or even back to the Threshold.

 

_Why is this world so screwed up? Can’t this just be easy—and what does he mean I’ll enter his labyrinth? What the hell is he even thinking!?_

 

Just then Matéas’s voice came booming into Will’s head unexpectedly. _So that’s the little bird’s plan. Quite an extravagant idea for an Ex-Knight, wouldn’t you say?_

 

Will tensed his jaw, glaring up to the sky. The rain was letting up now, but it was still a steady mist heavy enough to start soaking his uniform. _I wouldn’t know. He hardly told me anything. I need to get a Piece of Cirrus and meet him back at the shop Nocturne._

 

When no answer came, Will started walking around the docks for a few minutes until he spotted the castle being lit up on the horizon up the hill. Using it as a visual guide, Will began to walk toward it following wide and large streets.

 

Once Will was back into the richer part of the town, he was able to recognize things and find his way around much easier. He made his first choice and started walking back towards the large central fountain in front of the palace, since it wasn’t very far.

 

By that point, Matéas had been quiet so long, Will had figured he had been left alone again. Of course that was right when Matéas spoke to him. _A Piece of Cirrus, you said?_

 

Will stopped walking a moment, but then nodded a bit, and started for the fountain again. _Yeah… That’s what Crow said to get._

 

Matéas made a humming sound as he mused over the idea to himself. It was like he was considering throwing Will up into the sky itself to get the piece. He spoke after a moment, _Hmm for that, you must speak to Aether, high up in the clouds of the Threshold._

 

Will sighed, finally reaching the fountain. He sat on one of the benches with some small shrubs behind it. _Just where I wanted to go~_

 

A chuckle rang out from Matéas. _Aether is a very kind and well-respected god. He looks after all of the highest clouds of your world. He makes sure they are there as the shield._

 

Will sighed again, figuring it was just easier to give in to this crazy idea for the moment. _Do tell, how do I get up to the strata?_

 

_Well that’s easy. You take a door._

 

Before Will could make a snide remark about Matéas’s sense of humor, a door appeared before him. Just a door, standing in the middle of nowhere. There were no walls holding it up, just the trim work the door sat in. It was rounded at the top with carvings of clouds, sunlight glittering through them in small rays shooting down to the bottom of the door, where they vanished into more carvings of clouds.

 

_Uh… Just so we’re clear, I won’t just… Fall back to the ground if I go through there, will I?_

 

_Certainly not. The Threshold doesn’t function like how_ you _think. There are roads and pathways everywhere. Stairs going up and down, streets that wind and bend in every direction. Before you is a door to the strata- a glistening pathway that will take you to a large cloud swirling round and round. Inside that cloud is Aether._

 

Will looked the door over carefully. _Now I know I’ve gone down the rabbit hole. I’m gonna be walking up in the clouds? This is completely nuts._

 

_This is Reality: the true form of the world. Very few people have the gift of learning even one percent of what you’ve learned._

 

Will looked to the door’s handle, standing up and walking toward it. He stopped before touching the door. _So… If I keep going, I’ll keep learning about the reality of things?_

 

_Certainly. You are in the world of Black, and all that is there is to Create. To Create is to Learn, and likewise. Do you want to quit after coming so far? Even if you don’t step through that door, nothing might ever change._

 

Will didn’t move. He studied the door with his blue eyes. It had curves and twirls and spins– the design was breathtaking. _But going on ahead might mean taking a path I shouldn’t._

 

_Someone’s waiting for you._

 

Will’s eyes shot firmly to the door, no longer taking the time to admire the relief. Matéas was right. Crow was waiting for Will to show up with that piece of the clouds so that he could help Crow get his freedom. At that moment, Will wasn’t thinking about his father’s memories or anything like that. All he could think of was helping his friend. Will had learned too much to back out now without feeling guilty.

 

With no tentativeness, Will grabbed the handle to the door, turned it and pushed it open and took several strong steps through into the white clearness it opened onto. Will turned and closed the door behind, then turned forward. All around him were clouds of differing types, shapes and colors. Before him, was a glistening pathway made of clouds that had turned to ice. It wasn’t slippery, but it was clearly ice. Will could see that down the pathway only a short ways was a large swirling cloud that changed colors as bands within it spun around its cortex.

 

 _That must be the cloud Aether’s in._ Will figured, and started walking towards it.

 

As he walked, Will looked down over the edge and through the clouds. Strangely enough, beneath him all Will could see was the dark navy shadow of land, and small things like stars. It was almost as if he were looking into the sky back home. So, Will looked up. To his surprise he saw nothing but a pure blackness above him. There were no clouds above the height of Aether’s storm cloud, and there were no lights- no stars in the sky. It wasn’t even that dark navy like the rest of the world. It was purely black.

 

 _Matéas, what is that?_ Will called out in his thoughts.

 

_That is the world of Black. If you could look below and see through the navy world that is the Threshold you’d see that it’s all clear. It’s the world of White below._

 

 _So… This really is a world between._ Will paused, no longer walking. _Is there… anything else? A world above the Black or below the White?_

 

Nothing came for a moment but another chuckle from Matéas. He quieted down to compose himself before responding. _You’re the most curious human I’ve ever seen. You want to know about it all. Yes, there is one more world: the world of the gods and demons._

 

_What… kind of world is that? Isn’t that what this world is?_

 

_No. The world of gods and demons is where only we exist. Neither spirits nor ghouls or your souls may enter. It is a world purely_ our own _. It’s a dark, empty place. There is no light, and yet there is no real darkness either._

 

_Is it… a nice place to be?_

 

_Why are you wondering? Are you concerned that Phyte will die and wonder if he’ll be sent to a good place? What a silly notion._

 

_No. Well… Sort of._ Will felt his eyes divert around the scene before him– confused and curious.

 

_It is neither good, nor bad. It is purely empty. It is a place to be, not to live._

 

Will looked up at the towering cloud above him before he continued to walk. He had the urge to ponder on what Matéas had just told him, but any thought that'd come to mind would be heard. As he moved, Will was taking great care to keep his thoughts empty, although he felt nervous about being so high in the sky. Soon he was right next to the swirling clouds.

 

_When we are ready to live, we must find the phrase within us._ Matéas cut into the silence in Will's head.

 

_Phrase?_

 

“ _I am ready to live.”_ Matéas answered simply.

 

_And then…?_

 

_We materialize in the Threshold. And when we die, our souls are scattered and must reform in our own world._

 

Will sighed, starting to walk through the clouds. He expected a wind to hit him as he did, but there was none. It was as if he were walking through a stagnant fog. _So, Crow’s god… His name is Phyte?_

 

_Neo Phyte._ Matéas answered, a hint of disdain lingering on his words. _He’s… a god of all memories lost. Amnesia, briefly forgotten things… All of those he protects._ Then, Matéas took a short breath before continuing on to elaborate.  _Truly forgotten things. Things that cannot be simply reclaimed when you collect your memories on your way from Black to White._

 

_But Crow said he took my father’s memories._ Will asked, feeling the need to clarify if it had been Crow himself or Phyte who took the memories.

 

_Yes. Neo Phyte, in the last, oh… Two hundred years or so, has been experimenting with removing peoples memories by force, willingly and not._ Although Matéas's tone curved around between disdain and genuine respect for Phyte's powers, Will could feel the power of the god tremble within his mind. _Your father was one of those willing. Removal: It is simply a void left. He remembers getting married and her having a child, but he can’t directly remember either for they are removed from his memories that he can access. Those memories are in a vault in Phyte’s possession._

 


	34. Link 34

On the other side of the wall of clouds swirling around, Will was inside a giant hollow sphere. The glistening pathway he was on continued to the center just above him. There was a stone stairway that spiraled around for about thirty feet before ending at the top of a large circle platform that was just floating out in midair.

 

Will frowned, looking around at the clouds in the area. It didn’t look like anyone or anything was here. A floating platform in the middle of the sky doesn’t seem extremely safe. He thought to himself.

 

Will took a few steps forward, expected Matéas to say something to reassure him. Nothing came though, so Will continued walking carefully down the path to the stairs. At the base of the staircase, Will looked around nervously. There were no guardrails or anything to protect him if he fell off, and the clouds below him were so thick he couldn’t even tell how high up he was now.

 

After a few minutes of nervously walking up the stairs, Will stepped onto the stone circle platform. He looked around a bit, expecting something to happen. He raised a brow, putting a hand on his hip. “Is that it? No one’s here?” he asked the quiet winds.

 

Just then, a long swirling line of something shimmering above him caught Will’s eye. He looked up to see a thin dragon with no wings swirling around. It had a white body and golden hair running down its back, but it was long and thin like a snake- not at all a hardy build like Matéas was. As the dragon came closer, Will could guess it was easily sixty feet long, and he noticed that it was practically see-through. Not that he could see the insides of the spine, but that he could see the clouds of the sphere right through him.

 

Will yelped and ducked when the dragon swooped over the platform. He stood up, regaining his balance to see the dragon circling the platform from the stairs up, and then circling Will, coming in close. The head of the dragon stopped in front of Will’s face, only a few feet away, and his body circled the entire platform so as to trap Will.

 

Will let out a gasp at the dragon’s majesty. The dragon himself, though white and glistening scales, was not just translucent and glowing white, but his image seemed to flicker in and out. He’d appear, and then fade into a mist and reappear an inch or so off in either direction, before misting back to his original position.

 

“Are…you Aether?” Will asked meekly. He wasn’t too sure how to just go about addressing gods. He was starting to get the feeling though that all of the gods’ true forms were dragons.

 

“I am.” The dragon answered, though his jaw didn’t move. It was a thunderous deep voice that seemed to come from nowhere in particular. “And you, little human?”

 

“Oh!” Will bowed his head quickly, “My name’s Will, and—”

 

The god cut Will off immediately, “You are under the protection of Matéas.” He paused, “Tell me, what is it that he needs now?”

 

Will straightened up, tilting his head to the side. Apparently, this wasn’t Aether’s first time meeting someone from Matéas’s protection. “Uh… Well, uh… I’m not sure, but I’m here because—”

 

Again, Aether cut Will off, “You should know before coming to speak to a god.”

 

“R-right.” Will answered slowly, feeling like he’d somehow offended Aether already. He looked at the god’s eyes tentatively. They were gold and piercing, staring intently at Will. Cautiously, Will started to speak again, “Uhm… I need a Piece of Cirrus. A friend asked me to get it for him.”

 

“Oh?” Aether’s voice, though deep, sounded amused. “And who is this ‘friend’ of yours? Can you manifest him before me?”

 

A bit confused, Will shook his head, “N-no. He’s uh… His Seal is a Bind, so I… I don’t think he can.”

 

“Ah…” Aether paused. Will’s heart sank. It sounded like the god was finished talking and would fly away.

 

“He wants to break from his Bind!” Will said quickly.

 

That made Aether laugh, so much that his dragon eyes closed briefly. Will watched the god for a moment, irritated. His jaw was loose and his mouth open, surprised that Aether was laughing at first. But as the laughter continued, Will’s mouth closed and his jaw became tense and he glared at the dragon.

 

When the dragon opened his eyes, Aether saw the glare. “Oooh, you sure have got the angry look down. It’s not ever day I see that from a human.” Will’s expression didn’t change. Aether sighed, “You must really want to help him?”

 

Will nodded. “Of course I do! He’s my friend.”

 

“Ahh..” Aether nodded, musing aloud. “But is he a friend for convenience’s sake? Or, is he truly a friend in need?”

 

Will blinked, feeling like he needed to take a step back. “I uh… I don’t… know.”

 

Aether waited a moment to see if Will would say anything else before speaking himself. “Regarding your request, I’m afraid I must decline.”

 

“Wha—Why!” Will asked, his voice hurt. Even inside his own mind, Will was baffled at his behavior. Why am I reacting like this? Does…Crow’s fate really matter that much to me? Will shook his head in his mind, shaking off that thought. No. I just need some sleep. I’ll be better after I get some rest.

 

“Simple.” Aether answered. “A Piece of Cirrus is an expensive item. Not even the gods get it for free.”

 

Will tilted his head to the side, watching the dragon. I really want it. If I can do this, then I can get my father’s memories back—I can get my life back. “What do you want?”

 

The dragon shot up, swirling into the sky, laughing. Will watched as the god spun around the platform, rolling and writhing in different ways and then, after his fill, he swirled back and returned to how he was positioned before.

 

“You asked that,” Aether said to Will, “As if you have something to trade. Do you?”

 

“That’s why I asked, what do you want?” Will answered firmly. He didn’t sound rude, but collected. I have to drive this conversation the way I need it to go.

 

Aether made a humming noise as he thought. “You must give me something of great value to you- something that symbolizes a connection to those dearest to your heart.”

 

“Like what?” Will asked again.

 

“That is a captivating pink.” Aether said. Will blinked, his eyes going wide as Aether continued to speak. “It is neither bright, nor washed out. It is not too orange or red, or yellow. It is a dusty and collected medium, as if from the very petals of a rose.” He paused. Will could swear that Aether was smirking at him now. “Trade to me that color of your hair, and I will grant you the Piece of Cirrus that you seek.”

 

Will’s face looked only half as sick as he felt. His eyes were wide and his jaw loose with his brows furrowed. After a second, Will looked down to his feet to think it over. My hair color? That’s all he wants? Will tried to make his decision emotionless. I never liked it much anyway—it’s pink, and my father’s got a rich red. So… Really, I’d be happy to get rid of it. Ecstatic. Elated. Uncontrollable happiness and glee. But, he could feel a heavy sinking emotion under his thoughts. That hair color, for as much as he disliked it, it was part of Will. He had accepted it at a young age that his hair would always grow in that pink and he had learned to embrace it, instead of casting constant disdain on it. Would getting rid of it really make me happy?

 

Will looked back up to the god, and nodded his head. “Yeah, all right. You can have it.” Will even smiled a bit, waving his hand with a small gesture. “If it’ll get me the Piece of Cirrus.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

At that, Aether opened his mouth, and inside Will could see the pink tongue and sharp white glistening teeth. A fierce gust blew out from the dragon’s maw, making Will fall to his knees and cover his face with his arms. It only lasted a moment, and then the wind stopped.

 

Slowly, Will peeked open his blue eyes. He saw in front of him two small glass bottles, not much bigger then a thumb. Inside the furthest bottle from him, Will could see a familiar pink color swirling around as a sphere. In the bottle closer to him, Will could make out a white airy cloud, wistfully fluttering around the inside.

 

As he straightened up, the bottle with the pink flew up and away from him, and the other came toward Will, and then rested at his feet. Aether, still in his dragon form, was watching Will with interest. Will watched the bottle fly away, and then knelt down and picked up the one with the cloud in it. When he bent over, Will noticed something dark framing his face. He gasped as he got up and pulled some of the darkness around his face. His hair was black now.

 

“You are very interesting, little Will.” Aether said, as Will was staring at the black locks around his eyes now.

 

Will looked to him, feeling like it was an insult. “Oh? How so?”

 

Aether tilted his head to the side a bit before answering, “Your eyes seem to have stars within them.”

 

“Huh?” Will raised a brow.

 

“Perhaps… One day, you will understand and see them, too.” Aether nodded a bit. “Your color will make a find addition to the sunrises and sets in the skies.”

 

Will nodded a bit. The conversation is over. He thought, a bit bitterly. With a sweet smile to the god, Will held up the bottle with the cloud in it as he turned to walk away. Even his eyes seemed to smile, and if it were true, glints of little lights- stars- sparkled in the blue. “Thank you.”

 

Aether watched as Will walked back down the stairs and returned to the glistening path, on his way out of the swirling sphere of clouds. “Fare thee well, little Will to live.”

 

Will stopped at the wall of swirling clouds as he heard that and turned to look at the dragon once more. But Aether was already up and flying away, a glistening line vanishing into a mist again. When Will was outside of the clouds and walking on the path, he let out a heavy sigh. Matéas. Is there somewhere I could rest? I just feel… tired all of a sudden.

 

The familiar presence of Matéas returned inside Will’s being and he heard his voice once more, Certainly. A boy with an injured head needs his sleep.

 

Will stopped walking, looking ahead on the path to see another door had appeared. This door was rather plain and dull compared to the first one Matéas had materialized. It had a few strange engravings on it, swirls and what not, but nothing that kept Will’s interest. He just opened the door, feeling sleepy, and went through.

 

On the other side, Will was greeted with a dark room. There was a large window on his far right that looked out to the navy sky and the white lights of the Threshold. There were some rich navy, purple and magenta curtains and colors swirling around the room. In front of Will, parallel to the window was a simple bed with lighter purple bedding, with a pattern on it that looked like vines and leaves in a dark maroon.

 

Will walked over to the bedside, and then looked out the window. “Where am I now?”

 

A voice behind Will answered. “My place.”

 

Will turned to see Matéas standing there. He was tall, with his dark black hair falling like silk around his robes. He had a sort of smile on his face, but it didn’t appear to be welcoming.

 

“Should I go?” Will asked, frowning a bit.

 

Matéas shook his head, holding out his hand toward the bed. “Please, rest.” He paused, and his smile grew. “I have no reason to harm or hurt you, Will. If I did, nothing I want could be accomplished.”

 

Will grew a glare, his blue eyes flickering his anger straight at the god of poisons and toxins. “What, you mean like wanting to kill Phyte?”

 

“Ha, as if simply killing him would solve my problems.” Matéas chuckled a bit. He turned away from the window, the white light making his hair shine. Will saw that he was headed outside an open doorway that had no door on it. “You shouldn’t sleep with that angry look on your face.”

 

And he was gone. Will looked to the bed, and then out the window again. He sighed, and settled for sitting on the bed after a moment of silence. While staring at the black hair that now framed his face, Will hung his head, fell over and shifted to get somewhat comfortable on the soft bed. He sighed, letting the heavy emotions grab and yank at his heart. Will closed his eyes, pushing his face into the blankets.

 

Black hair. The absence of all color- black. That is… what my hair is now.

 

Inside his mind, Will groaned at himself and his decision to trade something like that away. I didn’t even think you could trade hair color away. He thought to himself, but recollected his thoughts on it. Then again, Crow’s eyes were replaced with actual gold metal, so I guess gods can do pretty strange things to you.

 

Will tried to think nothing more on it though, and let himself fall asleep, even if it wasn’t easy.


End file.
